A private chauffeur for the husband of Michaëlle Jean

Photo from the web site of the governor general
Photo from the web site of the governor general Jean-Daniel Lafond, husband of the secretary general of Francophonie Michaëlle Jean (pictured here in 2009), may rely on a private driver provided by the international Organization of the Francophonie, even if it has no official function within the OIF.

Alexandre Robillard

Thursday, march 15, 2018 00:00

UPDATE
Thursday, march 15, 2018 00:00

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The international Organization of the Francophonie, whose expenses have proved controversial, puts a chauffeur-driven car at the disposal of the husband of his secretary-general, Michaëlle Jean, has learned our Bureau of investigation.

When asked about this, the driver Laurent Demory has confirmed that he is an “employee” of the international Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) at the service of Jean-Daniel Lafond.

“I’ll take care of travel and I am paid by the IOF “, he said yesterday in a telephone interview.

Ms. Jean has been a source of controversy in recent months, particularly because of the expenses for her flat function put at its disposal by the OIF in Paris.

On the occasion of a passage at the organization last week, the prime minister Philippe Couillard has called for a more transparent to Mme Jean.

Internal documents of the OIF show that Mr. Demory is a part of a team of eight drivers, including a head and a replacement.

These same documents indicate that Ms. Jean has a ” particular driver “, Ishmael Paraiso, which is a member of his close team. An ex-employee of the OIF, has confirmed that Mr. Paraiso is his designated driver.

Team drivers

The cabinet of Mrs. Jean, secretary-general for 2015, there are three other drivers, two of which are identified as drivers individuals. The third, Mr. Demory, is identified only as ” driver “.

When contacted by our Bureau of investigation, Mr. Demory has spontaneously answered “yes, exactly” to the question asking whether he was the driver of Mr. Lafond.

When asked about the extent of her role with the husband of Michaëlle Jean, Mr. Demory has then denied that he was his driver, and then invoke his reserve duty.

The OIF has not responded to a request for an interview on the subject.

Mr. Lafond has no official function in the OIF. 10 days ago, however, it has publicly taken the defense of a decision to his wife about a cruise organized by the organization for some one hundred young people.

The budget for this project has been estimated at $ 1 million, but the husband of Ms. Jean argued that only 445 000 $ have been injected.

Paid by the Senegal

When Abdou Diouf was secretary general of the OIF, from 2003 to 2014, his wife had a car with a driver.

The costs were paid by the Senegal, of which he was the president of the Republic from 1981 to 2000, a-t-on learned.

Louis Bélanger, director of communications for the canadian minister of the Francophonie, has assured that the federal government does not offer anything of such to Ms. Jean, former governor general of Canada.

Many controversies

• The international Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) has spent a half-million dollars of public funds to furnish the official residence rented to Michaëlle Jean in Paris
• Michaëlle Jean and her entourage have spent 907 000 $ for their trips in 2016, or 40 % more than expected
• The travel costs of Ms. John were camouflaged in the most recent financial documents of the OIF
• The OIF has raised only $ 40,000 of private funds in December to fund the participation of 100 young francophones to a cruise, the cost of which was estimated at $1 million

The organization is no longer responding to calls

Five days after the publication of an open letter where she says she is the victim of ” misinformation “, the international Organization of the Francophonie (IOF) still refuses to answer the questions of our Bureau of investigation.

The number 2, Adama Ouane, has expressed his exasperation in a letter published Saturday by the daily newspaper le Soleil, in Québec city.

According to Mr. Ouane, of the articles published in France and in Quebec about spending Michaëlle Jean undermine his reputation and that of the OIF.

“Y is tired “, he explained, referring to such information ” misleading and defamatory “.

$1 million

Mr. Ouane has recognized, in its text as a project to cruise for 100 young francophones has been estimated at $ 1 million, as had been revealed to our Bureau of investigation. It has been stated that after a negotiation down with the owner of the vessel, only a grant of 445 000 $ has been paid.

No detail has been given on the fee paid or not by the OIF for the transport, the accommodation and the visas of the participants, or the activities during the stops planned over the next few weeks in the Mediterranean.

According to our information, these charges are all the same the budget to $ 1 million. The OIF has not given any response to our requests for clarification.

“Innuendo “

As to the call for transparency launched by the governments of Canada and Québec, Mr. Ouane said that it is an ” impression that our administration is not, and suggests that it is opaque. These statements are based on the same mobile that the charges complained of above.”

The OIF is financed by public funds paid by the States and member governments, including France, Canada, Quebec, and Senegal.