A Toronto businessman at the centre of the Rahim Jaffer scandal believed the former Tory MP would be good at getting proposals to government officials based on what was promoted on his business and personal websites.
In addition to that, Nazim Gillani will tell the Commons government operations committee next week that he “believed Mr. Jaffer was in the business of, in broad strokes, what could be called government relations,” according to Mr. Gillani’s spokesman, Brian Kilgore.
The Toronto businessman is clearly fighting back.
“Based on this belief, Mr. Gillani introduced Mr. Jaffer to clients, contacts and others on the basis that Mr. Jaffer knew his way around Ottawa,” Mr. Kilgore told The Globe this morning.
What Mr. Gillani is alleging today appears to contradict some of the testimony given by Mr. Jaffer at the committee yesterday. The former Conservative MP from Edmonton testified for two hours; he was there with his business partner, Patrick Glemaud, his partner at Green Power Generation Corp.
During his testimony, Mr. Jaffer repeatedly denied that his website promoted his ability to provide access to government officials. He also said he was not in the business of lobbying or government relations and had not lobbied cabinet ministers or politicians.
Mr. Jaffer, who is not a registered lobbyist, also played down his connections to Mr. Gillani, telling committee members that he realized after a few meetings that their firms were different and “didn’t have synergies.”
Meanwhile, the issue of what was on Mr. Jaffer’s website caused much confusion and consternation for MPs from all parties yesterday. Mr. Jaffer denied there was anything on the page to suggest that he could open doors to government.
However, Mr. Jaffer's personal website did, in fact, note he had “business expertise in industry financing in order to help them secure support from the Canadian government and to obtain contracts abroad.”
And Mr. Jaffer later qualified – after much grilling (a printout of the page was also given out at the committee) – that the information was on his personal website but it was only meant to reflect on his former position as an MP. He said it was not to promote government access.
This is not what Mr. Gillani believes, according to his spokesman.
“Mr. Gillani was aware of what was on Mr. Jaffer’s website and on the Green Power Generation Glemaud-Jaffer website,” Mr. Kilgore said.
He said Mr. Gillani “believed these meant that Mr. Glemaud and Mr. Jaffer would be good at getting proposals looked at by government officials, elected and public servants who could help projects get underway.”
Not only that, the phrase on the website “help get projects underway” refers to, according to Mr. Kilgore, “both grants, loans etc., that involve money, and the provision of advice, services etc.”
Mr. Gillani is to appear next Wednesday; Mr. Kiglore says his client is “truly looking forward” to having his say.
“He sees this as a great chance to tell his story in front of a national audience by making his opening statement and then answering questions under oath from [the MPs] he believes want straight answers on the lobbying, government grants and ‘green’ issues.”
(Photo: Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press)
