Trial Normandeau : two journalists summoned to reveal their sources

PHOTO DIDIER DEBUSSCHERE
Nathalie Normandeau

Jean-Luc Lavallée

Monday, 22 January 2018 17:31

UPDATE
Monday, 22 January 2018 17:55

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Journalists Marie-Maude Denis and Louis Lacroix will be convened next Monday by the counsel for the defence at the trial of Nathalie Normandeau, and Marc-Yvan Côté in order to be interrogated on the identity of their sources.

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The lawyers of the ex-liberal minister Marc-Yvan Côté had already announced their intention to derail the proceedings by invoking the leaks to media in the context of a request for a stay of proceedings, which will be debated next week.

To Me, Olivier Desjardins, who second Me Jacques Larochelle in the record of Marc-Yvan Côté, has announced, on Monday afternoon, the identity of the two journalists who have received subpoenas.

Marie-Maude Denis, issue Investigation, Radio-Canada, has produced several reports that are challenged by the defence, including the report on financial assistance granted to First Tech, and the links between the ex-minister Sam Hamad and Marc-Yvan Côté, and then the one entitled “amiss” about the secret funding of political parties.

“It is at the heart of a machine that allows journalists to obtain confidential information. It is of paramount importance to us because it enables us to know the origin of the leaks and the motivations (sources), ” said mr. Desjardins. The reports contained all of the elements of proof that have been detrimental to the accused, according to the theory of the defense.

The journalist of Cogeco Louis Lacroix, he will be questioned about his article entitled ” Who wants to derail the trial of Nathalie Normandeau ? “, published in the magazine The News in April 2016, three weeks after the strike of the UPAC which had proceeded to the arrest of the former deputy prime minister of the liberal party.

“He has spoken several times to a man called Peter, the origin of the sources, who would be in possession of the evidence and who has communicated with several journalists. Mr. Lacroix can help us identify the source, ” added Me Desjardins.

Lino Zambito will testify also

The witness is the star of the Charbonneau commission, the former contractor Lino Zambito, will also be called to the witness box next Monday. In his autobiography, Mr. Zambito suggests that he knows the source of the leaks. The defense intends to question him about the identity of two suspects, it was learnt on Monday : an investigator and an ex-Crown prosecutor.

“This former prosecutor-there totally negates the facts. For him, Lino Zambito has completely fabulé it “, underlined the lawyer of Marc-Yvan Côté.

The lawyer of several media, Sébastien Pierre-Roy, who was at the palace of justice of Quebec on Monday to challenge an order of non-publication in the folder Normandeau, has already indicated to the court that Radio-Canada had the intention to oppose the summons to Marie-Maude Denis. Louis Lacroix must sit down with his prosecutors on Tuesday, in order to develop its strategy.

Recall that the House of commons has passed a draft law last October in order to protect the confidentiality of journalistic sources in the wake of the case Lagacé. These new legal parameters are likely to find themselves at the heart of the debates, if the defence keeps its subpoenas.