Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 28 February 2019
Canada ex-attorney: Government tried to interfere in case

By ROB GILLIES mately four months, be-
Associated Press tween September and
TORONTO (AP) — Canada's December of 2018, I expe-
former attorney general rienced a consistent and
testified Wednesday she sustained effort by many
experienced a consistent people within the govern-
and sustained effort by ment to seek to politically
many people in Prime Min- interfere in the exercise of
ister Justin Trudeau's gov- prosecutorial discretion
ernment to inappropriately in my role as the attorney
interfere in the prosecution general of Canada," she
of a major Canadian engi- told a Parliament justice
neering company and said committee.
it included "veiled threats." The scandal has been a
Ex-justice minister and ex- significant blow to Trudeau,
attorney general Jody Wil- who is facing an election
son-Raybould said Wednes- this year.
day that 11 people tried to Gerald Butts, Trudeau's
interfere in her prosecuto- closet adviser, resigned last
rial discretion and said in a Cameras follow Jody Wilson Raybould as she waits to appear in front of the Justice committee in week but denied that he
meeting with Trudeau, the Ottawa, Wednesday February 27, 2019. or anyone else pressured
prime minister raised the is- Associated Press Wilson-Raybould. Michael
sue and asked her to "help Wernick, the top civil ser-
out" with the case. Wilson- Trudeau responded. she was "barraged" and pressured her to try to avoid vant in the government,
Raybould said she asked She said Trudeau told her subjected to "hounding" a criminal prosecution of has also said that no inap-
Trudeau if he was politically that if Montreal-based by members of the govern- SNC-Lavalin over allega- propriate pressure was put
interfering with her role as SNC-Lavalin didn't get a ment. tions of corruption involving on Wilson-Raybould and
attorney general and told deferred prosecution there Trudeau's government has government contracts in that Trudeau repeatedly
him she would strongly ad- would be jobs lost and it been on the defensive Libya. Critics say that would assured Wilson-Raybould
vise against it. would move its headquar- since the Globe and Mail be improper political med- the decision on the SNC-
"No, no, no. We just need ters from Montreal to Lon- newspaper reported Feb. dling in a legal case. Lavalin prosecution was
a find a solution," she said don. Wilson-Raybould said 7 that Trudeau or his staff "For a period of approxi- hers alone.q

Business chief says delaying Brexit helps provide 'sanity'

By JILL LAWLESS bers of her government,
Associated Press who threatened to quit
LONDON (AP) — Prime Min- and vote with the opposi-
ister Theresa May insisted tion in order to rule out a
Wednesday that Britain will disruptive "no-deal" Brexit.
leave the European Union She said Parliament will get
on schedule next month, to vote again on the deal
while the head of a major by March 12. If it is rejected,
business organization said lawmakers will then vote
May's grudging decision on whether to leave the EU
to allow lawmakers to vote without an agreement or
to delay Brexit provides an seek to postpone Brexit by
"option on sanity." up to three months.
May has bowed to pres- The move angered pro-
sure from within her own Brexit lawmakers, who fear
Conservative government any postponement could
and given Parliament the be a step toward stopping
chance to delay Britain's Britain's departure.
scheduled March 29 de- It was welcomed, however,
parture if lawmakers fail by pro-EU members of Brit-
to approve her divorce ain's divided Parliament.
agreement with the bloc. They will try to impose more
May stressed that she per- conditions on the govern-
sonally opposes extending A Demonstrator protests at the entrance of the Houses of Parliament in London, Tuesday, Feb. 26, ment's Brexit negotiating
the Brexit deadline, and 2019. strategy in a series of votes
said "the United Kingdom Associated Press on Wednesday evening.
remains on course to leave British businesses also wel-
the European Union with "begun to bear fruit." EU member Ireland — and ing talks with U.K. Attorney comed the prospect of
a deal" if lawmakers "hold The House of Commons sent May back to Brussels General Geoffrey Cox a delay. They warn that
their nerve." Writing in the rejected May's deal with to get changes. about potential tweaks without a deal, Britain risks
Daily Mail, May said talks the EU last month — large- The EU is adamant that or additions around the a chaotic departure that
with the EU about secur- ly over concerns about a the legally binding with- margins. On Tuesday, May could disrupt trade be-
ing changes to the divorce provision to guarantee an drawal agreement can't gave Parliament a greater tween the U.K. and the
deal to make it more pal- open border between the be changed, though the say over Brexit to forestall a EU, its biggest trading
atable to Parliament have U.K.'s Northern Ireland and bloc's negotiators are hold- rebellion by pro-EU mem- partner.q