Angry in the Great White North
OSC Investigation: It's official!
Friday, January 06, 2006 at 08:05 PM

Read other posts by Steve Janke published by the National Post
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The CP is reporting the existence of the official investigation into the Income Trust Scandal by the Ontario Securities Commission, first reported by this blogger on December 22.

Via the Toronto Star:

However, the OSC was somewhat more forthcoming in a letter sent two days later to another complainant, who asked to remain anonymous, from senior inquiries officer Jeffrey W. Fennell.

This complainant asked the OSC to look into insider trading allegations and also reports that Goodale's staff may have tried to silence a member of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons who indicated that his group got advance notice of the income trust announcement.

Fennell wrote that he'd been asked to "co-ordinate'' a review of the complainant's concerns and added:

"The commission takes allegations of trading on insider information and allegations of potential interference with an investigation very seriously. Your concern has been forwarded to the Enforcement branch of the OSC for further review.''

Fennell further advised that "this may or may not result in a formal investigation'' and warned that the OSC doesn't normally comment on the existence, nature or status of any investigation unless it "brings proceedings in the matter.''

The income trust controversy has dogged Martin throughout the crucial post-Christmas phase of the campaign and has helped reactivate concerns about the Liberal government's ethics as he heads into the home stretch for the Jan. 23 vote.

Goodale has denied that he or any of his staff leaked information about his income trust decision ahead of time. But it has emerged that Martin, three of the prime minister's senior staff, and two other cabinet ministers, as well as some of their staff, had advance knowledge of the announcement.

INDEX: POLITICS JUSTICE BUSINESS

I will get a web link soon.

Some thoughts about the significance of the OSC investigation.
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