Prominent Canadia doctor Arthur Porter charged with fraud, accepting bribes, and conspiracy

Arthur Porter, former head of the McGill University Health Centre (MUSC) in Montreal and also former chair of the Canadian Security Intelligence Review Committee is charged with fraud against the government, accepting bribes, and conspiracy.

Quebec's anti-corruption squad issued warrants for the arrest of Porter along with four other men on February 27. There have been allegations of fraud concerning the McGill Univesity Health Centre for some time.

Arthur Porter seemed to have connections with Prime Minister Stephen Harper who appointed him to the Security Intelligence Review Committee which reviews complaints against intelligence services. He was appointed in 2008 and served as chair in 2010 but resigned in 2011 after controversy about his business dealings.

In November 2011 the National Post newspaper revealed that Porter had questionable business dealings including with an ex-Israeli international lobbyist and arms dealer, who had been charged in the US for illegally attempting to sell military transports to Iran. Here is an example of a deal he made while he was chair of the Intelligence Review Committee and a member of the Privy Council which gave him access to classified information."One of the deals was signed in June 2010, while Porter was still a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada and Chair of the Security Intelligence Review Committee (SIRC). In this case, through his Sierra Leone based company Africa Infrastructure Group (AIG), Arthur Porter signed a $120-million consultancy agreement prepared by Ari Ben-Menashe and his Montreal-based company Dickens & Madson (Canada) in which he agreed to wire a $200,000 payment to Dickens & Madson for its services as intermediary in a questionable aid-for-infrastructure deals in Africa."

Not only the Prime Minister was impressed by Porter, he received multiple honors and was made CEO of the huge MUSC health care development in Montreal:" Dr. Porter is a Past President of the American Brachytherapy Society; the American College of Oncology Administrators; the American Cancer Society (Great Lakes); and the American College of Radiation Oncology. He has also served as Chairman of the Board of Chancellors of the American College of Radiation Oncology and on the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Cancer Institute (USA). Between 2006 and 2008, Dr. Porter served on the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), which oversees government funding for health-related research in Canada. "

In November 2012, McGill university filed a lawsuit that sought repayment of $317,154 which Porter owed the university. He replied with a 3 line email and they have not heard from him since. Apparently Porter is in the Bahamas receiving treatment at a Cancer Center he and a business partner established there.

In an emailed response to the issuance of the arrest warrants Porter said:"Whilst I am certain there is no basis in fact, I have yet to see any documentation. Since I left Montreal in 2011, I have been subjected to scurrilous and scandalous allegations in the media."Porter insists that he has never seen any documentation and that he would take appropriate action when he did.

Arrest warrants were also issued for former CEO of engineering giant SNC-Lavalin Pierre Duhaime and former construction chief Riadh Ben Alissa who are also charged with fraud, conspiracy, and bribery. Dr. Porter was of head of MUHC and chief negotiator of a $1.3 billion contract that was granted to SNC-Lavalin to build a huge new hospital for MUHC. Dr. Porter had managed MUHC for seven years.