Boissonnault’s former business partner linked to woman detained in Dominican Republic cocaine bust

Liberal Cabinet Minister Randy Boissonnault’s erstwhile partner successful a aesculapian proviso institution has ties to an Edmonton female who was detained successful a monolithic cocaine bust successful nan Dominican Republic successful April 2022.

Federal incorporation documents show Stephen Anderson, main operating serviceman of Global Health Imports (GHI), created a numbered institution pinch Francheska Leblond successful December 2021, astir 4 months earlier her detention successful nan Caribbean country.

Boissonnault and Anderson co-owned GHI until astir 2 weeks ago, erstwhile Boissonnault sold his 50 per cent liking successful nan arguable aesculapian proviso company, efficaciously cutting ties pinch Anderson.

His erstwhile partner is scheduled to look earlier a parliamentary morals committee Wednesday to reply questions astir nan company’s questionable business practices and what, if anything, nan curate knew astir them.

Last month, successful a unanimous vote, the commons morals committee passed a motion inviting Anderson to attest earlier nan committee.

Global News recovered nary nonstop necktie betwixt Boissonnault and Leblond.

In a lawsuit that generated world headlines, Dominican authorities detained 12 Canadians, including Leblond, aft nan unit from nan Canadian charter institution Pivot Airlines said they discovered 210 kilograms of cocaine hidden successful their plane. Dominican prosecutors launched an investigation, but nary charges were laid.

Global News has confirmed that Leblond was 1 of respective group connected nan formation who was nether RCMP investigation and that she has a history of supplier charges nether a erstwhile name: Francheska Quach. Leblond was ne'er charged by nan RCMP successful nan Dominican incident.

Nine years earlier, Edmonton constabulary arrested her and 2 others successful a supplier bust. Police said they seized loaded handguns pinch silencers, a bulletproof vest, and much than $31,000 successful cash. They besides said they seized $25,000 worthy of cocaine from a car equipped pinch concealed compartments. All charges against her were yet withdrawn.

Anderson said he did not cognize of Leblond’s erstwhile personality and past criminal charges erstwhile he incorporated nan institution pinch her. In a statement, Boissonnault said he has ne'er met aliases spoken pinch Leblond and has nary knowledge of her dealings pinch his erstwhile business partner. Anderson said he ne'er told Boissonnault astir it.

Almost overnight successful early 2020, nan COVID-19 pandemic created a monolithic worldwide request for PPE. Like galore different entrepreneurs, Boissonnault and Anderson founded GHI to rate successful connected nan windfall business opportunity.

Both were looking for a caller start. Boissonnault, first elected successful Edmonton Centre successful 2015, had mislaid nan autumn 2019 election. That aforesaid year, nan lucky nine that employed Anderson arsenic a coach sued him successful a conflict complete nan acquisition of lucky equipment. The conflict ended pinch a mediated $8,000 costs from Anderson to nan club.

Global recovered nary grounds either had immoderate acquisition successful nan aesculapian proviso market.

After his re-election successful September 2021, Boissonnault resigned arsenic head of GHI but continued to ain a 50 per cent liking successful nan institution until precocious June. Public agency holders are allowed to ain backstage companies arsenic agelong arsenic they do not run aliases negociate them.

Boissonnault’s waste of his stock of nan institution comes aft Global News published a bid of stories that elaborate GHIs’ troubled history, including unusual statement wins, half a twelve lawsuits, astir $8 cardinal successful court-ordered debts, a civilian allegation of fraud against Anderson, and a occurrence astatine nan company’s storage started by 3 arsonists successful nan dormant of night.

Boissonnault is not named successful immoderate of nan lawsuits. Anderson denies nan fraud allegation and nan arson lawsuit remains unsolved.

Global News consulted respective experts successful morals and governance astir Boissonault’s caller business ties to Anderson, who is associated pinch personification linked to nan supplier trade, and nan galore ineligible and financial issues faced by GHI.

“I deliberation it’s bad ethics, but I’m perfectly definite it’s atrocious politics,” said Arthur Schafer, founding head of nan University of Manitoba’s Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics.

Dalhousie University governance and morals professor Lori Turnbull said Boissonnault distancing himself from GHI and Anderson is “the smart point to do.”

“If location is immoderate anticipation of immoderate continued investigation aliases suspicion aliases antagonistic attraction to nan government, nan easiest point to do from a governmental standpoint is conscionable make it spell distant and truthful you waste nan shares and past it’s harder to to airs questions,” she said.

Global News told Boissonnault astir nan nexus betwixt Anderson and Leblond connected March 28, 2024. Alice Hansen, Boissonnault’s head of communication, did not reside Global’s questions astir Anderson and Leblond astatine nan time.

Boissonnault has ne'er publically acknowledged nan superior reputational issues created by nan company. When Global reporters asked him why he continued to ain portion of nan institution pinch Anderson, his agency did not reply nan question, nor did it pass reporters that he had sold his shares.

Boissonnault has many times denied having immoderate engagement pinch nan institution since he won backmost his Edmonton Centre spot successful nan autumn of 2021 and resigned from his position arsenic director. He served successful Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s furniture arsenic curate of tourism and subordinate curate of finance earlier being promoted to curate of employment successful mid-2023.

After Global reported that Anderson sent texts to a purchaser successful 2022 successful which personification named “Randy” instructed him connected really to grip a business woody and asked for a “partner call,” Canada’s morals commissioner launched a preliminary probe into Boissonnault.

Under nan Conflict of Interest Act, nationalist officeholders are prohibited from managing aliases operating businesses while successful office. Both Anderson and Boissonnault said nan curate was not nan “Randy” successful nan texts.

Still, nan Tories and NDP person grilled Boissonnault in nan House of Commons and successful nan parliamentary morals committee complete nan past six weeks.

On June 25, Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein decided not to launch a general investigation aft reviewing Boissonnault’s telephone records. Alberta business registry documents show Boissonnault sold his shares successful GHI 2 days later.

Hansen said successful a connection that nan morals commissioner has twice declined to formally analyse Boissonnault.

That “does not exonerate Minister Boissonnault truthful agelong arsenic important questions stay unanswered,” Tory MP Micheal Barrett said successful a statement.

NDP MP Matthew Green said nan waste of nan shares “demonstrates that Mr. Boissonnault understands that his relationship to this institution is problematic.”

Schafer said nan optics for Boissonnault and Trudeau, who has truthful acold declined to remark connected nan allegations, are terrible.

“This is simply a authorities already nether occurrence for its perceived inability to spot an ethical rumor erstwhile it lands connected its head,” he said.

“So why person they kept (Boissonnault) around? I mean, he is benignant of a ticking clip explosive for them. He is simply a gift to nan Conservative guidance and to Mr. Poilievre.”

In 2008, Francheska Leblond was known arsenic Francheska Quach. Edmonton constabulary charged nan 21-year-old pinch possession of marijuana for nan purposes of trafficking and possession of money nether $5,000 obtained by crime. Those charges were stayed, but she received a conditional discharge and a twelvemonth of probation for a 3rd complaint of possession of a controlled substance.

Five years later, successful July 2013, Edmonton constabulary charged Quach pinch much superior crimes. The supplier and pack portion said officers recovered a 9mm handgun, bulletproof vest, power jamming devices, homemade search devices, and much than $31,000 successful rate astatine a location successful Edmonton wherever Quach and 2 others were arrested.

Police besides said they recovered $25,000 worthy of cocaine, different handgun pinch a silencer, and ammunition successful a hidden compartment of a car associated pinch nan accused. Quach was charged pinch possession of cocaine pinch nan intent of trafficking and a fistful of weapons charges. It’s chartless why nan charges were later dropped.

Anderson said he met Leblond astatine a communal friend’s day statement successful 2019 and she later projected starting a cleaning business together.

He incorporated 13560449 Canada Limited connected Dec. 1, 2021, astir 2 months aft Boissonnault resigned arsenic a head from GHI.

Anderson said nan numbered institution does not person thing to do pinch GHI aliases his different company, Global Healthcare Solutions (GHS).

About 4 months aft Anderson incorporated nan company, Leblond was detained and jailed successful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic alongside 11 different Canadians. The unit said they discovered 210 kilos of cocaine — astir $25 cardinal worthy — successful duffle bags hidden successful their chartered pitchy destined for Toronto.

A CTV W5 investigation from December 2022 revealed nan institution that hired nan level was clone and astatine slightest 2 of nan plane’s passengers from Edmonton had criminal histories that progressive narcotics aliases supplier trafficking.

Anderson said he learned astir Leblond’s detainment from nan W5 documentary.

The cleaning institution “did not proceed beyond nan early discussions and owed diligence,” Anderson said successful a statement.

“As a result, nary existent business was transacted, nary slope accounts opened and nary revenues received.”

Global News tried to way down Leblond successful Edmonton. The telephone number she provided connected firm documents was not activated, and nan reside did not exist. But removing 1 number successful nan thoroughfare sanction yielded an reside that matched a UPS Store successful a southeast Edmonton portion mall.

The shop head confirmed that Leblond had a mailbox there, and that she besides received message nether her erstwhile name, Francheska Quach.

Unprompted, nan head called her successful nan beingness of a Global newsman and asked if she would speak to them, but she declined and instructed nan proprietor not to stock her telephone number.

Ethics master Arthur Schafer said nan emerging specifications — nan arson occurrence astatine GHI’s warehouse, a civilian allegation of fraud against Anderson, and Anderson’s nexus pinch Leblond — each “reinforces nan wide question, ‘What is going connected here?’”

Former RCMP interrogator Garry Clement said Global’s findings raise “a number of reddish flags,” particularly because ministers must person information clearance.

In a connection to Global, nan Prime Minister’s Office said it “has afloat assurance successful nan information clearance processes done by nan authorities information agencies.”

Schafer said inaction by Trudeau only reinforces nan public’s mounting cynicism pinch this government.

“The Trudeau authorities has squandered nationalist spot successful a number of different ways and can’t spend to discarded anymore. They really ought to enactment decisively successful this case.”

If you person accusation for this story, aliases accusation for different story, please interaction maine successful assurance astatine krista.hessey@globalnews.ca