Leaks at Davie: vice-admiral Mark Norman is accused of breach of trust

Photo courtesy Department of national Defence
Mark Norman

QMI agency

Friday, 9 march 2018 15:06

UPDATE
Friday, 9 march 2018 15:09

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OTTAWA – vice-admiral Mark Norman, relieved of his duties last year because he would have disclosed confidential information to the leaders of the shipyard Davie, will be formally accused of breach of trust.

The royal Canadian mounted police (RCMP) confirmed on Friday that it filed charges against the high-ranking military of 54 years of age. “Mr. Norman had released illegally government information to unauthorized persons,” said police in a press release.

The military must appear in court on 10 April next.

The investigation into the actions of Mark Norman has been in progress since December 2015. The RCMP had received a complaint following which the vice-admiral would have passed confidential documents to the Firm about a contract to transport ship canadian.

The result of this complaint, “the RCMP has sought evidence through various judicial authorization, of a treaty of mutual legal assistance with the us authorities and other investigative techniques such as interrogation of witnesses and the forensic analysis of a considerable number of documents”, specifies the federal police.

In a statement to the media, the lawyer of Mr. Norman, Marie Henein, has argued that his client had “always acted in the best interest of the country”.

“We will respond to this allegation before a court where evidence, objectivity, and justice are important, and where there is no place for politics,” said the one who defended, in particular, the ex-host star of CBC radio, Jian Ghomeshi at his trial for sexual assault.

When the investigation was opened, the shipyard Davie hoped that the new liberal government in Ottawa ceases to block the award of a contract for the conversion of a vessel-container as a supply ship for the navy. This agreement, initialled between the site and the previous government, was valued at nearly $ 700 million and would generate about 200 jobs.

The contract has been granted a few weeks after the start of the Trudeau government.

In the course of its investigation, the RCMP has also met with leaders of the Shipyard Davie, and members of the Trudeau cabinet, was revealed in the daily newspaper, The Globe and Mail last April.