Jean Lafleur, Liberal Ad-scam
Costa Rica residents raised first flag about John Lafleur's whereabouts
By Judi McLeod
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Message from Canada to San Rafael de Escazu, Costa Rica: The party's over.
The party boy, whose rowdy lifestyle kept you up nights, won't be back in your neighbourhood anytime soon.
Long missing, Canadian, Liberal Ad-Scam key player Jean Lafleur turned himself in to Quebec Provincial Police this morning.
And you Ticos have been right ever since December 23, 2005 because when Lefleur did return to Canada, he came via Belize.
The end of the long road for one of Costa Rica's "most infamous Gringos" came early this morning when Quebec Provincial Police met 66-year-old Lafleur at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport.
It was on-the-ball Costa Ricans who, on November 2, 2005, first tipped off Canada Free Press (CFP) that Lafleur was living it up high and loud in their country-- a single day after Justice John Gomery tabled his report into Canada's largest political scandal.
"Doesn't he have millions of dollars with him that rightfully belong to the Canadian taxpayer?" Lafleur's Costa Rican neighbors wanted to know.
"He's here, partying the nights away, drowning his sorrows. Shouldn't someone be coming to get him?"
During all the time when Lafleur was AWOL, only CFP, who broke the story, the enterprising, little electronic newspaper, A.M. Costa Rica and La Belle Province's Le Devoir covered the post-Gomery Inquiry Lafleur living it up abroad.
Six weeks later on December 23, the same Costa Ricans were back in touch to say that Lafleur had departed their country for a Christmas break in Belize.
Costa Ricans were keeping tabs on Lafleur and his constant companion, Tico Larry Umana because the twosome were causing them sleepless nights at a condominium in the otherwise sleepy suburb of San Rafael de Escazu.
Relieved that Lafleur and Umana headed out for Belize during the Christmas season of 2005, they noted that the pair "seem to spend a lot of time visiting Belize".
"Should the Quebec Provincial Police or feds who launched the $5.9-million lawsuit be interested, some Costa Ricans say Lafleur and Larry Umana left Costa Rica for the primarily English-speaking Belize," CFP wrote on Dec. 23, 2005.
Belize is known for allegedly selling citizenships and, of course for its offshore banking opportunities.
"The RCMP, who always get their man, aren't looking for Lafleur, and in Canada there's been nary a peep about the AdScam scandal since the federal election writ was dropped." (CFP).
For someone who would be facing 35 fraud charges, totaling nearly $1.6 million related to the federal sponsorship scandal, the ad man was at large for a long time.
While the Mounties have handled other fraud investigations related to the sponsorship scandal, there was a particular reason why provincial police were in charge of the Lafleur case.
"The RCMP had received a sponsorship from Lafleur Communication, so for transparency reasons that specific file was transferred to the Surete du Quebec (provincial police)." (Toronto Star, April 5, 2007).
While it is not clear whether the Crown will oppose any bail request, Lafleur was to be arraigned at the Montreal courthouse at 2:30 p.m., today.
Lafleur, who paid himself and several family members millions of dollars in salaries, netted millions in government contracts and is accused of deceiving the government to pocket cash for little or no work.
Although key government officials sent him nearly $65 million in business, testifying at the Gomery Inquiry, he had only a sketchy recollection of who they were.
Lafleur's business dealings with the Liberal Government of Canada grew from $1 million per year in 1993 to as much as $22 million in 1996.
It is too soon to say whether any of the money spent by Lafleur and family will ever be recouped.
But CFP will always remember that certain residents in a suburb called San Raphael de Escazu in Costa Rica are better reporters than most of those in the mainstream media.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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