The lawyer for the architect of the Saaqclic Karl Malenfant project judges that the Gallant Commission on the fiasco is trying to “put the cover on the pot” by refusing to grant his client the status of participant. “It is well tanned to hide in your corner and to be martyred in the public square. »»
On Wednesday, the commission of inquiry into the failed digital transformation of the Quebec Automobile Insurance Company (SAAQ) announced that Karl Malenfant would remain a simple witness in the context of the hearings. The former vice-president of the digital experience demanded the status of participant in order to be able to oppose witnesses and provide his own evidence.
Karl Malenfant refused to meet with The press. On the phone, his lawyer Jean-François Bertrand, however, strongly denounced the decision of judge Gallant, who directs the work.
There is a narrative that the commission has in mind and they do not want to get out of that, and this narrative, it is incomplete as for the truth.
Jean-François Bertrand, lawyer for Karl Malenfant
The Commission concluded Wednesday that Karl Malenfant has no “important and direct” interest in the works that would justify the status of participant. His lawyer judges that it is a serious mistake.
“Mr. Malenfant is the only one who can explain the story from start to finish,” he says.
Photo taken from Linkedin
The ex-boss of the Saaqclic project, Karl Malenfant
Several witnesses succeeded themselves at the helm by saying that his client had omitted to warn those responsible for the project skid, whose costs have more than doubled to exceed $ 1.1 billion.
After calculating an additional shortfall of 222 million in 2022 for example, the SAAQ continued to circulate the false information that the budgets agreed two years earlier are respected.
On the contrary, his lawyer assures that he has documented all the course of the work surrounding the digital transformation project of the SAAQ.
“When he is criticized for not having advised the board of directors, it is damn,” he said. He has everything in writing. He is able to support 100 % of what he says. »»
These documents are part of the additional evidence that Karl Malenfant would have liked to deposit as a participant.
According to his lawyer, he is “the only one who can explain the story from start to finish”.
A story that dates back to 2005
Jean-François Bertrand affirms that the commission does not even have the mandate to rise far enough in time to shed light. According to him, you have to go back to 2005 to have the full portrait, long before the arrival of Karl Malenfant at the SAAQ. The State Corporation then tried to define a project of computer “renovation”, and its systems, which “dated from the 1980s”, already accused important problems of obsolescence.
“It must be explained to citizens,” says Jean-François Bertrand.
Karl Malenfant’s lawyer says he is worried by what he considers an obsession to meet the time limits to carry out the work of the Commission in the long term.
He cites the example of the Charbonneau commission on corruption in public construction contracts, which lasted four years. “I don’t feel that we’re going to be treated like that. »»
On Wednesday, Denis Gallant also cited a decision of the Charbonneau commission at a request from the former Liberal organizer Pierre Bibeau to be recognized as a participant, involved by witnesses in illegal political financing.
At the time, the commissioners France Charbonneau and Renaud Lachance had refused, saying that the commission was not the right forum to ensure its “full and whole defense”.
According to Denis Gallant, this principle applies to an accused person, which is not the case with Karl Malenfant. If he faced a criminal trial, it would be anyway of separate procedures: “This commission of inquiry does not hold a trial”, he underlines in his decision.
Contacted by The pressthe spokesperson for the Gallant Commission, Joanne Marceau, had no specific comments to make on the release of the lawyer of Karl Malenfant.
“I think the decision talks about itself,” she said. From the moment he testifies, he can intervene as he wishes. He does not need to contravene witnesses. »»
Premonitory video
Wednesday, The press made comments that Karl Malenfant made in a presentation to TI Government managers in late 2022.
In addition to repeating the false information that the project was “in the budgets agreed in 2020”, the project boss said promoted “a lot of action, but not much plan and documentation”.
He also recognized that the Saaq controllers had “had difficulty”.
In committee, several auditors also succeeded themselves at the helm to denounce the lack of listening they suffered when they were trying to sound the alarm on certain slippages.
Several witnesses also described pressures from Karl Malenfant to bypass contractual laws and hire some of his former collaborators.
If you have information on the SAAQCLIC/CASA project or other government computer projects, you can reach Hugo Joncas at 438 396-5546 (cellular, signal, facetime, Whatsapp) or to [email protected].
