Derrick Snowdy

The private investigator says the Prime Minister’s Office did not accurately report to the ethics commissioner the information he passed on to them. He says he has no evidence as to the conduct of Ms. Guergis in his “possession or knowledge.” The concern, he says, was “optics.” He says Mr. Jaffer was the “back door” to federal funding and Liberal party president Alf Apps was Nazim Gillani’s “getaway driver.” Mr. Gillani responds. Mr. Apps’ law firm says Mr. Apps was briefly on retainer to Mr. Gillani, but the law firm declined to do work with Mr. Gillani and the retainer was returned. And CBC reports that the private investigator arrived in Ottawa driving a nice car.

The Star and Globe explain how Mr. Jaffer met Mr. Gillani. The Citizen looks into Mr. Gillani’s business career. Environment Minister Jim Prentice rose in the House yesterday afternoon and revealed that a member of his staff met with Mr. Jaffer. Meanwhile, the Enterprise-Bulletin, Canadian Press, and Canwest stake out the riding association meeting in Ms. Guergis’ riding and find support for the currently party-less MP.

Ms. Guergis seems interested in being the Conservative candidate for Simcoe-Grey whenever the next election occurs. The director of a solar power company, and a former Liberal MP, says he was “shocked” to learn his company was the subject of a proposal submitted to the government by Mr. Jaffer’s company. The private investigator tells the Canadian Press that the RCMP told him that it has commenced an investigation. The RCMP won’t say if it has actually done so. An observer wonders if there might be some holes in the Lobbying Act that need tending to. The ethics commissioner says she can’t investigate unless she has “some information that goes to whatever the hell the problem was.” And Mr. Jaffer’s business partner produces the documentation that was requested and, in the process, suggests that perhaps racism had something to do with the reception he and Mr. Jaffer received at the government operations committee the other day. Or at least that some people who watched the committee proceedings told him that perhaps racism had something to do with it.

Though reported last night to have decided not to proceed with an investigation of Ms. Guergis, the ethics commissioner is now said to be looking into Ms. Guergis’ affairs. Mr. Snowdy, the private investigator, is back from the Bahamas to talk to the RCMP. The RCMP is so far undecided on pursuing a formal investigation. And Liberal MP Marcel Proulx is thinking about calling Ms. Guergis to testify at the procedure and House affairs committee to explain why Mr. Jaffer was using one of her office e-mail addresses and Blackberries.

The private investigator tells his side of the story to the CBC and Globe. Mr. Ignatieff questions Mr. Harper’s judgment. Mr. Jaffer will appear before a parliamentary committee on Wednesday. The Hill Times ventures that Ms. Guergis’ political reputation may forever be damaged.

Ms. Guergis and Mr. Jaffer visited Belize in 2008. Ms. Guergis encouraged her cousin, a Simcoe politician, to consider a company connected to Mr. Gillani and Mr. Jaffer. Canadian Press investigates Ms. Guergis’ club-going days. The private investigator whose allegations led to Ms. Guergis’ exit from caucus has liabilities totalling $13-million. A friend says the PI is a “skillful” investigator. Mr. Gillani’s spokesman says Mr. Gillani did not boast of having pictures of Mr. Jaffer and Ms. Guergis partying with cocaine and prostitutes, nor does he possess any pictures of Mr. Jaffer and Ms. Guergis partying with cocaine and prostitutes. And Gilles Duceppe visits Edmonton and makes a joke about Mr. Jaffer.