No compensation for former Via head fired in sponsorship scandal

A former Via Rail executive who was turfed in the wake of the sponsorship scandal has lost a legal battle for compensation.

Quebec Superior Court Judge Benoit Emery ruled last week that the federal government did nothing wrong when it fired Marc LeFrançois as president of the Crown corporation in 2004.

LeFrançois was seeking $2.7 million for wrongful dismissal, claiming his firing was abusive and without merit.

He was also seeking compensation for damages to his reputation.

Paul Martin's Liberal government axed LeFrançois after he was fingered in an auditor general's report for providing fake invoices for advertising work.

In his ruling, Emery said he found LeFrançois to be "vague and evasive" during his testimony.

Six people have been arrested so far in an ongoing investigation by the RCMP in the sponsorship scandal.

Source:CBC