Posted on 05/11/2005 10:24:46 AM PDT by Pikamax
By TU THANH HA
Wednesday, May 11, 2005 Updated at 12:35 PM EDT
Globe and Mail Update
Montreal — Daniel Dezainde, who was the director-general of the Liberal Quebec wing in 2001, says he was introduced to a friend of Alfonso Gagliano and was told he was “the real boss,” the Gomery inquiry heard Wednesday Mr. Dezainde said Benoît Corbeil, his predecessor, introduced him to Joe Morselli, a close friend and organizer of Mr. Gagliano.
Mr. Dezainde said he was told Mr. Morselli was “the real boss” and advised not to antagonize him. Mr. Dezainde said he was baffled because Mr. Morselli had no official title.
The meeting over espresso was at Frank's restaurant, made famous as the place where Jean Brault left an envelope of cash on the table.
The inquiry previously heard that Mr. Dezainde and others had to go to PMO to fire a fundraiser Mr. Morselli had hired because the fundraiser, Beryl Wasjman, was organizing unreported fundraisers.
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Mr. Dezainde said Mr. Morselli gave himself the title of VP finance committee and put it on a business card with party logo. He said Mr. Wasjman similarly gave himself business cards with the title “assistant director of operations.”
Mr. Dezainde said he ordered Mr. Wasjman's business cards shredded.
Mr. Dezainde also public works minister Alfonso Mr. Gagliano, who was the party's top politicalorganizer for Quebec, had told him that if he had any “needs” he should talk either to Mr. Morselli or to the minister's chief of staff, Jean-Marc Bard.
Mr. Dezainde said he understand that the minister was alluding to financial needs.
Mr. Dezainde he also discovered that the Quebec wing had racked up tens of thousands of dollars in its accounts payable, including $48,000 in unpaid rent.
The party's financial officers “were swamped with calls from unpaid suppliers.”
He said he got in touch with Mr. Morselli, mindful of Mr. Gagliano's advice.
At lunch at Frank, he was told by Mr. Morselli to send him the bills “so he can determine what can be paid, and when.”
“Not only you didn't know where the money came from but you no longer had the ability to manage your organization. So what's the point of being there?” Mr. Dezainde said.
He said at a previous meeting with Mr. Bard, the chief of staff went on a rant against Mr. Corbeil and against Jacques Corriveau.
“Benoît, he scammed enough already,” he was told. He said Mr. Bard said about Mr. Corriveau, “Good riddance.”
Mr. Dezainde told the inquiry: “Have you ever seen the Twilight Zone TV series? It was like that.”
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