Corruption probe asks about ties between engineering firm, Tory senator

OTTAWA – The relationship between one of Quebec’s largest engineering firms and a Conservative senator is being raised at the province’s corruption inquiry.

Pierre Lavallee, the president of BPR Inc., made headlines earlier this week when he admitted to paying thousands of dollars in exchange for lucrative contracts from the City of Montreal.

Commission lawyers have gone on to ask Lavallee if he knew about Tory Senator Leo Housakos’ links to Union Montreal, the municipal party that allegedly benefited from the kickbacks.

Housakos worked on Gerald Tremblay’s Union Montreal mayoralty campaign and in his administration in 2001-02.

Lavallee said he didn’t know Housakos until late 2008, when he hired him to head one of BPR’s wholly owned subsidiaries.

In 2009, the Senate ethics commissioner said Housakos broke no rules when a consortium including BPR was awarded a federal contract while he was still on the firm’s payroll.