No Charges in High-profile Influence Peddling Investigation

PUBLIC PROSECUTION SERVICE--No Charges in High-profile Influence Peddling Investigation

After a lengthy investigation into high-profile allegations of influence-peddling involving a request for a provincial government loan, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has decided not to lay charges.

The commercial crime section of the Nova Scotia RCMP launched a major investigation five years ago after receiving complaints that individuals had attempted to illegally influence government officials into supporting their private business interests.

The RCMP conducted an extensive investigation involving dozens of interviews and thousands of pages of documentation. In 2003, the RCMP turned to the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service for legal advice. Crown attorneys reviewed the material and concluded the results of the investigation did not warrant going ahead with a prosecution. The RCMP agreed with that assessment and has decided not to lay charges.