Guergis finds ally as Ontario company comes to her defence

OTTAWA, Ont. – An Ontario company mixed up in the allegations around Rahim Jaffer and Helena Guergis has sprung to the defence of the former minister.

Wright Tech Systems issued a statement Friday saying that suggestions of impropriety on the part of Guergis are “misguided.”

Guergis had written a letter to a local politician in her riding urging him to consider a waste-management project that Wright Tech had developed.

That same week last September, Jaffer’s company had submitted an inquiry about Ottawa’s Green Infrastructure Fund about the same Wright Tech project.

That has given rise to questions about a potential conflict of interest on Guergis’s part and improper lobbying by Jaffer, which Jaffer and Guergis have vigorously denied.

A spokesman for Wright Tech said there was never a financial or business arrangement with Jaffer and his consulting company.

He said Guergis was doing her job as MP when she sent the letter to the local politician, because Wright Tech’s owner owns a cottage in her riding.

“It is my belief that allegations against MP Helena Guergis Simcoe-Grey as to impropriety or conflict of interest are misguided as regards this matter,” said Wright Tech owner Jim Wright.

Wright said he met with Jaffer early last fall and discussed whether Wright Tech might be eligible for government funding, but no financial arrangement was ever struck.

He said Jaffer “appeared to always act in good faith but did not bring any substance to the discussions.”

A spokesman for Wright Tech told The Canadian Press on Friday that the firm did not know that Jaffer’s business partner Patrick Glemaud had submitted a preliminary inquiry with federal officials about funding.

He added that Jaffer and Glemaud had offered help in understanding what government funding might be available, but Wright Tech didn’t pursue those avenues because it could not drum up enough business in Canada to be eligible.

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