BackOn May 1, 2017, the Québec Ombudsman was entrusted with handling disclosures of wrongdoings committed by or regarding a public body pursuant to the Act to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings relating to public bodies.
This is the context for the Québec Ombudsman’s release of its first public integrity investigation conclusion. The conclusion stemmed from the disclosure of wrongdoings concerning the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ).
A Department manager had allegedly recommended the awarding of financial assistance to a private organization while he was a Board member. It seems as well that he had not complied with staffing procedure.
The investigation by the Québec Ombudsman confirmed that the person about whom the disclosure was made had committed a serious breach of ethics and professional conduct by being in a conflict of interest. However, the investigation showed that no wrongdoing had occurred in staffing.
The Québec Ombudsman made recommendations to MAPAQ, which committed to implement them.
Find out more about the conclusion
Source: Office of the Québec Ombudsman, Canada
