The last year was busy for Quebec’s anti-corruption unit, which released an annual report Wednesday showing a rising number of whistleblower reports and convictions.
“Practically all of our indicators are up,” Éric René, a lawyer who is interim head of the force, told a news conference in Quebec City.
The unit, known as UPAC, said 19 people were charged in criminal cases and 18 people were convicted during the 12 months ending March 31, 2024, while 265 individuals or companies were fined during that same period.
The numbers of people charged and convicted were roughly six times higher than in the preceding 12 months.
The report noted two specific convictions — a former Montreal regional health board employee sentenced for defrauding the board of several hundred thousand dollars and the case of a former political operative sentenced to jail for embezzling funds from the office of a member of the …