Corruption

Los Angeles - An organized crime figure paid an FBI agent $10,000 a month in exchange for sensitive law enforcement information, according to court documents charging the agent, Babak Broumand, in a conspiracy to bribe a public official. (Los Angeles Times)

Political figures have long used their families to route power and benefits for their own self-enrichment. In my new book, “Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America’s Progressive Elite,” one particular politician — Joe Biden — emerges as the king of the sweetheart deal, with no less than five family members benefiting from his largesse, favorable access and powerful position for commercial gain. In Biden’s case, these deals include foreign partners and, in some cases, even US taxpayer dollars. (New York Post)

MONTREAL - A former SNC-Lavalin executive on trial for fraud and corruption has been found guilty of the crimes. Sami Bebawi, 73, faced trial on five charges, including fraud, corruption of foreign officials and laundering proceeds of crime. (Toronto Sun)

A key witness in Sami Bebawi’s fraud and corruption trial says he was once offered $10 million in exchange for more favourable testimony that could protect the former SNC-Lavalin executive vice-president. (National Post)

A lawyer says an inquiry into money laundering in British Columbia would not exist without the "courage" of an ex-police officer who spoke out about alleged "interference" with his mandate to investigate organized crime in casinos. (CBC)

As Cameron Ortis climbed the ranks of the RCMP, there was no disputing the depth of his intelligence or his ability to get to the nub of complex matters. He was among a select cadre of “golden boys” — civilians tapped by the force to help tackle national security and other highly sensitive files. So impressed was former commissioner Bob Paulson, sources say, that he had floated the idea to the senior executive committee on multiple occasions of elevating them to senior police officer or “regular member” status through an expedited program. (National Post)

Derek Brassington, a one-time member of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, had his application for $255,383 reviewed and rejected by federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. (The Province)

The second of the suspended top officials at B.C.’s legislative assembly has resigned, 11 months after the pair were escorted off the grounds of parliament under a cloud of misspending allegations. (The Province)

OTTAWA - The RCMP intelligence director who now stands accused of preparing to leak secrets to a foreign entity or terrorist group kept a large number of encrypted computers at his home, making the investigation harder to crack.(CBC)

The investigation into top RCMP civilian official Cameron Ortis began with a shadowy, multimillion-dollar Vancouver-based company run by Canadians that sold encrypted cellphones to drug traffickers and money launderers around the world. (CBC)