Opposition MPs are calling for an investigation after street gangs were found to have been using Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) cheques to fund their illegal activities.
Conservative MPs Raquel Dancho, Pierre Paul-Hus and Stephanie Kusie issued a letter that demanded the Canadian government take action on the matter.
“It is unacceptable that under your watch, illegal firearms were purchased with taxpayer money in the form of CERB, especially with the surge of deadly shootings taking place across Montreal,” read the letter.
The Toronto Sun first reported on the CERB funding criminal activity in 2020, but new reports out of Montreal prompted the call for federal action.
A ruling by Court of Quebec Justice Yvan Poulin in November rejected attempts by several Montreal residents – some of them with alleged ties to a street gang – to recover more than $118,000 seized by police last year.
“In support of its request, the Crown presented evidence to support the circumstances in which the money was seized from each of the respondents,” said Poulin. “The prosecution argues that it has demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that these assets are ‘tainted by criminality’ and that their confiscation is justified.”
The Attorney General of Quebec was able to confiscate this money under Section 490 of the Criminal Code of Canada.
Poulin said that a mobile device from Montreal resident Mouad Rasmi “contains many of the elements supporting his participation in a fraudulent scheme related to the CERB, including personal data and profiles of several third parties.”
La Presse first reported on this case, which linked several people associated with the court ruling to Montreal street gang STL. While there is no mention in the ruling that guns were purchased with CERB cheques, La Presse cites multiple sources over several months showing that Montreal gangs used the money for such purposes.
The Conservatives are requesting the Canadian government “launch a complete and thorough audit of the taxpayer dollars your government provided to criminals in the form of pandemic benefits.”
Canadian Ministry of Employment spokesperson Ashley Michnowski could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
