(OTTAWA) After struggling to return a controversial $140,000 Beijing-linked donation in a move that led to mass resignations, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation was finally able to refund the amount to the sender .
The donation was repaid in full to the Millennium Golden Eagle company, owned by billionaire Zhang Bin, this close associate of the Chinese regime behind the controversial contribution, La Presse was able to confirm with a well-known source. aware of the file.
“The famous check that was sent several times, which came back, has been cashed, and the money is no longer in the Foundation’s bank account, so that’s settled”, explained this same source who requested anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly.
Emails from a bundle of internal documents obtained earlier this week by La Presse show that several board members were concerned in early April that the Foundation would not be able to return the check. to the company issuing the donation, Aigle d’or du Millénaire.
Foundation board chair Edward Johnson also asked the Auditor General of Canada, Karen Horgan, on Friday to conduct an audit of its handling of donations, promising her “full co-operation” if she decides to do so. accede to this request.
The independent investigation commissioned Wednesday by the organization, which was criticized by two resigners from the Trudeau Foundation, will be carried out in parallel, it is specified in the letter which was received at the office of the auditor general.
The leader of the Bloc Québécois, Yves-François Blanchet, who called for an investigation by the Auditor General, welcomed on Friday “the sound decision” of the directors of the Foundation “to solicit themselves” such an investigation.
