No. 2 at Quebec’s anti-corruption unit quits over role in alleged share purchases

MONTREAL – The second-in-command at Quebec’s anti-corruption unit stepped down Thursday amid allegations he recommended the purchase of shares in a company when he was working for the provincial police force.

The head of the unit issued a statement to say Marcel Forget was quitting in order to preserve the organization’s reputation.

Le Journal de Montreal reported that five police officers or ex-officers bought shares in a firm called Newtech in 1999 and 2000 through an intermediary of Forget’s or based directly on his recommendation.

The newspaper said Forget, who was never charged, did not have a broker’s permit at the time.

Newtech’s objective was to come up with what was considered a state-of-the-art braking system.

In his role as Robert Lafreniere’s No. 2 at the anti-corruption unit, Forget was responsible for ensuring the integrity of companies wanting to be publicly listed.

Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux hailed Forget’s decision as the right thing to do. Earlier in the day, Coiteux had called on him to step down.