A Montreal-based company and four former executives are facing charges of bribery and fraud under the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act and the Criminal Code, in connection with an investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police into international corruption.
The investigation by the National Division RCMP Sensitive and International Investigations section began in August 2018.
On September 20, 2022, Ultra Electronics Forensic Technology Inc. (UEFTI), Robert Andrew Walsh (Montreal, QC), Philip Timothy Heaney (Montreal, QC), René Bélanger (Saint-Lambert, QC) and Michael McLean (Beaconsfield, QC) were each charged with the following criminal offences:
- Bribery of a foreign public official – CFPOA 3(1)a)
- Bribery of a foreign public official – CFPOA 3(1)b)
- Defrauding the public – CC 380(1)a)
It is alleged that the corporation and the accused individuals directed local agents in the Philippines to bribe foreign public officials to influence and expedite a multi-million-dollar contract.
The four individuals and representatives for UEFTI are scheduled to appear in Montreal provincial court on September 28.
The RCMP's Sensitive and International Investigations section focuses its expertise on sensitive, high-risk investigations involving serious threats to government institutions, public servants, the integrity of the state, or which could jeopardize the political, economic and social integrity of Canada. The RCMP remains committed to disrupting, deterring and preventing corruption, both domestically and internationally, and our goal is to bring to justice the individuals and companies involved in these types of crimes.