OTTAWA - La Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC) a annoncé qu'elle examinait les réclamations de dépenses du Sénat à la suite d'un audit indépendant et d'un rapport critique produit par le comité interne de la Chambre haute sur l'économie.
La police fédérale a toutefois ajouté dimanche qu'il était encore trop tôt pour déterminer s'il y aurait enquête sur les accusations selon lesquelles trois sénateurs ont réclamé de manière inappropriée des allocations de logement.
Au final, il s'agit de déterminer si le conservateur Mike Duffy, l'ex-conservateur Patrick Brazeau et le libéral Mac Harb pouvaient effectivement recevoir cette allocation, visant à rembourser les sénateurs qui doivent conserver une résidence secondaire à Ottawa.
Le dossier est désormais entre les mains de la Division nationale de la GRC, qui s'occupe d'enquêtes de nature délicate et à risque élevé sur les menaces graves à l’intégrité politique, économique et sociale du pays, a déclaré la sergente Julie Gagnon, une porte-parole.
La GRC doit encore décidé si elle ouvre ou non une enquête, a-t-elle précisé.
La confirmation du fait que le dossier intéresse la GRC vient clore des journées de débats houleux, de dénonciations et de spéculations quant au délicat sujet des allocations sénatoriales.
Dans le rapport commandé par le comité du Sénat, la firme indépendante Deloitte a conclu que les trois sénateurs mis en cause vivaient principalement dans la région de la capitale nationale, mais que les règles entourant les réclamations étaient imprécises.
Le comité dominé par les conservateurs a malgré tout affirmé que dans les cas de Harb et Brazeau, les règles étaient «particulièrement claires», et que les deux sénateurs devaient rembourser les sommes versées, provoquant des accusations de favoritisme envers M. Duffy.
Controversial Canadian Senators
Pamela Wallin(01 of16)
Open Image ModalPamela Wallin, at Tory senator from Saskatchewan, also found her expense claims under close scrutiny in Februrary when it was revealed she billed taxpayers $142,190.26 for trips between March 1, 2011, and Feb. 29, 2012. But only $10,551.99 of her expenses were related to travel between Ottawa and Saskatchewan, while the remaining $131,638.27 was filed under \"Other.\"\n\nQuestions were also raised about whether or not she satisfied the residency requirement needed to represent Saskatchewan in the Upper Chamber. Wallin split her time between Toronto and New York prior to being named a senator in 2008, but does own a plot of land in the province and two properties with family members.\n\nWith files from CP (credit:CP)
Patrick Brazeau(02 of16)
Open Image ModalPatrick Brazeau first came under fire in December of 2012 amid reports he was using his former father-in-law\'s address in Maniwaki, Que., to claim a Senate housing allowance, while actually living in Gatineau, just across the river from Parliament Hill. The Senate Board of Internal Economy subsequently asked an auditor to look at Brazeau\'s residency claims and expenses.\n\nIn early February, Brazeau was arrested and charged with assault and sexual assault after a heated argument with his girlfriend turned violent. The charges promptly got Brazeau turfed from the Conservative caucus.\n\nOn February 12, Brazeau was suspended indefinitely from the Upper Chamber.\n\nWith files from CP (credit:CP)
Mike Duffy(03 of16)
Open Image ModalConservative Mike Duffy also courted controversy over his housing allowance. \n\nThe P.E.I. senator claimed his cottage in Cavendish as his primary residence and his long-time in home in Kanata, a suburb of Ottawa, as a secondary residence for which he collected $33,000 in living allowances he since 2010.\n\nWhile always maintaining he was entitled to the compensation, Duffy vowed on February 22 to repay the money. He blamed the entire issue on confusing and vague Senate paperwork.\n\nWith files from CP (credit:CP)
Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu(04 of16)
Open Image ModalPierre-Hughes Boisvenu, a Conservative senator from Quebec, came under fire in early March when it was revealed he collected a housing allowance of $20,000 despite living little more than a drive across a bridge from Parliament.\n\nBoisvenu claimed his primary residence was in Sherbrooke, but sources said he had been staying at his secondary residence in Gatineau since separating from his wife in February, 2012.\n\nBoisvenu was then forced to admit in March that he had been carrying on a relationship with an aide, Isabelle Lapointe. The Senate ethics officer had told him last year that he couldn\'t have his girlfriend on the office payroll but Boisvenu ignored the warning for months. The two have since split up and Lapointe is now working elsewhere.\n\nBoisvenu has repaid the $900 stipend he collected while living with Lapointe for three months near Ottawa.\n\nWith files from CP (credit:CP)
Mac Harb(05 of16)
Open Image ModalLiberal senator Mac Harb also had his expenses audited after it was discovered that he claimed about $40,212 in living expenses for a secondary residence in Ottawa from Nov. 30, 2010 to Nov. 30, 2012. \n\nHarb, a former Ottawa MP, claims his primary residence is a bungalow in the tiny village of Westmeath, but neighbours claim that nobody lives there year-round and that it is basically a cottage. (credit:Handout)
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