'Stop this investigation': Jean Charest's lawyer says former premier steered clear of corruption

Jean Charest's lawyer says the former Liberal premier isinnocent of any wrongdoing when it comes to political financing and it is high time for Quebec's anti-corruption squad to end asix-year investigation that has not led to charges against Charest's friend, Marc Bibeau, or anyone else.

Michel Massicotte told Radio-Canada that aside from the fact his client is a friend of Bibeau's something Charest has never disavowed nothing in newly released documents pertaining to that UPAC investigation call into question Charest's integrity.

Massicotte's comments come a day after the Supreme Court refused to hear a request for a publication ban filed by lawyers forBibeau, a one-time top fundraiser for the Quebec Liberal Party.

As a result ofthe Supreme Court's decision,a trove of information from the investigation, known asOperation Mchurer, is now public. The documents include general warrants and witness statements, and they detailwhy, in 2016,UPAC wanted to conduct secret searches of the offices of companies owned by Bibeau.

Mulling Conservative leadership bid

The revelations come just as Charest is mulling over making a bid to lead the Conservative Party of Canada, and the former premier wants to clear the air.

"We discussed it, and given what's been out there in the public sphere not just yesterday, but for a very long time it looked to us to be necessary to address this issue," Massicotte told Radio-Canada's Isabelle Richer in an interview Friday.

Even though Charest was head of the Liberal party, he had nothing to dowithBibeau'sfundraising practices, Massicotte said.

Massicotte said if some companies contributed illegally to election funds, Charest was not aware of it.

"To support a practice, you have to be aware that practice exists," said Massicotte.

He said Charestknew Bibeauwas involved in the PLQ's so-called "sectoral funding" a term used to describe soliciting companies to ask staff to make political contributions.

Massicotte conceded that it's been demonstrated companies did, in fact, contribute illegally to the Liberal Party's electoral coffers but he maintained that had nothing to do with howsectoral funding actually worked.

"It wasn't up to the firmto give money, it wasupto each person individually," he explained. "There was no twisting of arms, either."

In any event, even if businesses did make illegal political contributions to the PLQ, "Mr. Charest knew nothing about it," he said.

Frustrated police leaked information, Massicotte charges

Operation Mchurer's goal was to establish a link between illegal political financing and the awarding of public contracts by Charest's Liberal government.

"We have always said,to whoever wanted to hear it, that we are innocent as far as any of this goes," Massicotte said.

He pointed out that Charest has already explained all this, in great detail, in a 300-page declaration to lawyers for theCharbonneau commission, who interviewed him in 2014.

The former premier also spoke to UPAC investigators on two separate occasions, before OperationMchurer was even launched, more than five years ago.

OperationMchurerhas found nothing new, he said.

"Stop this investigation," he said. "Stop saying we are hiding something, or whatever. We have offered our full co-operation, but this co-operation does not seem to have been reciprocated."

Massicotte said he believes investigatorsleaked the now-public documentsout of frustration, in an effort to createa "trial by media" scenario because there is no evidence of any crime.

No sympathy from political adversaries

However, opposition parties are not ready to let Charest off the hook.

"If OperationMchureris not over, it's because Mr. Charest's friend dragged the proceedings all the way to the Supreme Court," said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, the co-spokesperson for Qubec Solidaire, in a news release, accusing the former provincial Liberal leader of showing contempt for the public.

"Now that Mr. Charest wants to run for the Conservative Party leadership, he's complaining about how long it's taking and he wants it to stop?"

"The Charbonneau commission exposed the illegal financing schemes of the Liberals during the Charest era. He is the prime suspect in this case, " said Nadeau-Dubois.

"Just because Jean Charest's lawyer asks that an investigation be stopped does not mean we should listen to him," said the acting head of the Parti Qubcois, Pascal Brub.

He said there are still many unanswered questions.

"Several individuals and companies claimed that they had been asked for large amounts of money," Brub said. "Who asked them for money, and for whose benefit? That's the most important question."

UPAC said it had no comment on Massicotte's remarks at this time.