Ontario's Government Experts Charged with Fraud and Corrupting Public
Officials

MONTREAL , Jan. 27 /CNW/ - Industry pursues activists as information was laid for criminal charges against 23 individuals by Jeffrey Lowes , Director of Government Relations for M-REP Communications. Additional proceedings Under Section 504 of the Criminal Code were filed on Tuesday - 115 charges in total - before a Justice of the Peace in a Provincial Court outside of Kingston.

These actions by activists are alleged to have resulted in the following offences:

    
    -   Did knowingly present false and misleading information in respect to
        the health and environmental risks associated with pesticide products
        regulated by the Federal Government to Municipal Officials and
        Councilors in a successful bid to influence the banning of pesticides
        by said officials through deceit and fraudulent means and did there
        by commit an offence contrary to Section 123 subsection 2 of the
        Criminal Code (R.S., 1985 c. C-46).

    -   Did knowingly mislead the public, lawn care industry and government
        officials with the false pretence of having "peer reviewed studies"
        and endorsements of the Canadian Paediatric Society in an effort to
        defraud the lawn care industry access to products and there by commit
        an offence in excess of five thousand dollars contrary to Section 380
        subsection 1 Criminal Code (R.S., 1985 c. C-46)

    -   Did in addition by impeding access to Health Canada approved
        pesticide products through fraudulent means directly affect Ontario's
        lawn industry's $1.3 billion market contrary to Section 380
        subsection 2 of the Criminal Code (R.S., 1985 c. C-46)

    -   Did by working together conspire to prevent the supply of Health
        Canada approved pesticides in the Ontario market contrary to Section
        45 subsection 1(a) and (d) Competition Act (R.S., 1985, c. C-34)

    -   Did knowingly present false and misleading information through
        medical reports in respect to the health and environment risks
        associated with pesticide products regulated by the Federal
        Government under the Pest Control Products Act and did there by
        commit an offence contrary to Section 30 subsection 2 of the Pest
        Control Products Act.(2002, c.28)
    

These activists worked with the Ontario Government to ban pesticides using alleged false and misleading information to undermine the industry.

Names of the individuals charged will be withheld pending the Pre-Enquete hearing.

Lowes stated "this is like Dr. Charles Smith all over again when medical professionals are left unchecked by their licensing bodies. Some of these individuals even pretended to be medical doctors"

February 17th has been set for a hearing to set a date for Pre-Enquete hearing on all charges.

M-REP Communications has been working with the industry across Canada and is in BC and Alberta to review a course of action for their industries while on a speaking tour.

Mr. Lowes expects to file additional charges against municipal councilors who worked with the activists in Ontario.

M-REP Communications is a consulting services firm that provides support through a network of companies in North America and the EU on environmental policy and communications.

For further information: Jeffrey Lowes, M-REP Communications Director of Government & Industrial Relations, direct [phone], fax [phone], [email protected]