Latest update: 14/12/2012 

- Canada - corruption - mafia - Montreal


Quebec: the Maple Leaf Mafia

No Flash warning
To take advantage of all the features on FRANCE24.COM, please click here to download the latest version of Flash Player.

For the past few months, the French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec has been gripped by a tale of corruption involving public officials and the construction industry. The mayors of Montreal and Laval have been forced to resign because of graft on their watch. A public inquiry, known as the Charbonneau Commission, has been set up to look into the scandal.

REPORTERS
By Fabrice HOSS

We caught up with Lino Zambito, a Sicilian-born businessman who used to be involved in a system of graft that allowed several companies in Quebec to share out some of the juiciest municipal contracts.

This former construction company boss was one of the first to testify before the Charbonneau Commission. “I was not an angel. I rigged contracts, I financed political parties, I bribed public officials; but the system was such that if I wanted to work for the ministry, I had no choice", Zambito told the inquiry.

Today he runs a pizzeria in a suburb of Montreal but remains charged with several corruption-related offences. Whenever he can, Zambito catches up with the latest developments at the public inquiry. He knows all the witnesses who take the stand - former colleagues, competitors, city officials - and is able to decipher this mafia system which could extend well beyond the borders of Quebec.

Paul Kagame: up close and personal
20/07/2012 - REPORTERS

Paul Kagame: up close and personal

His critics accuse him of being authoritarian, distant and calculating. But is that a true representation of Paul Kagame? France 24 was given exclusive access to the Rwandan President for one week and allowed to film as he went about his day to day routine.
(7) comments
The Chinese beat the recession in Spain
13/07/2012 - REPORTERS

The Chinese beat the recession in Spain

In Spain, a group of entrepreneurs are beating the recession. One of their strengths is to overcome the obstacles the economic crisis has put in their way. Chinese entrepreneurs have moved in and begun the process of creating jobs. Today one in every four new businesses in Spain is Chinese. France 24's correspondent Adeline Percept has found these entrepreneurs have been able to see opportunities where others can only see problems.
The Hawza: Najaf's Shia theological school
06/07/2012 - REPORTERS

The Hawza: Najaf's Shia theological school

In this report we head to the Iraqi city of Najaf. 160km south of Baghdad, it’s Shia Islam’s third holy city after Mecca and Medina. France 24 toured the Hawza, the city’s theological school, where scholars spend up to 25 years immersed in Shia theology. They witnessed an institution that is shining once more, following the fall of Saddam Hussein. Report by Karim Hakiki, Amar Al Hameedawi
(1) comment
Battle for control of southern Libya
29/06/2012 - REPORTERS

Battle for control of southern Libya

Oil wells, water supplies, border checks and illegal alien smuggling… Deep in southern Libya, the Tubus are masters of all they survey. Marginalized under Gaddafi, the Tubus helped bring him down. Now their plight is battling with neighboring Arab tribes to maintain control in the region. Their violent clashes have already claimed hundreds of lives. On the eve of elections, the situation is still a powder keg.
(2) comments
Lebanon: when civil war crosses borders
16/06/2012 - REPORTERS

Lebanon: when civil war crosses borders

The civil war in Syria is spilling over into neighbouring Lebanon. Our reporter went to the northern town of Tripoli, only a few kilometres from the Syrian border and the town of Homs. Here, the Alawites, who support the regime in Damascus, are taking shots at the Sunnis, who support the rebels. Today, the conflict in Syria risks igniting a wider conflict within the Middle East.
(1) comment

React to the article
Comment this article typing your message in the above text zone. Please note that this is limited to 1500 characters or less.
(0) Reactions
Read more
Close