Guy Ouellette back in Liberal caucus following arrest by anti-corruption unit
MNA for Chomedey was arrested by UPAC in October but was never charged
Guy Ouellette, a former high-profile police officer whose arrest by Quebec's anti-corruption unit sent shock waves through the political establishment, has been allowed to return to the Liberal caucus.
Caucus chair Filomena Rotiroti confirmed the decision Tuesday afternoon.
Ouellette, who was arrested on Oct. 25, has not been charged with a crime. He has previously said his arrest was a setup, designed to intimidate him.
He told reporters in a brief statement Tuesday that he was "very happy" to be back with his party.
The failure to charge Ouellette has left MNAs from all parties uneasy and has brought greater scrutiny to the anti-corruption unit, known as UPAC.
The Liberal government has asked the province's auditor general to look into Ouellette's allegations.
Arrest 'unjustified,' Ouellette told premier
Ouellette, the MNA for Chomedey, had been sitting as an independent since his arrest.
His return to the Liberal fold comes a day after he sent a letter to Premier Philippe Couillard in which he stressed his commitment to fighting corruption and denounced his "unjustified" arrest.
According to Radio-Canada sources, Ouellette had already made an initial informal approach about returning to caucus last week, and he was told to wait a few months for the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) to determine whether or not to lay charges against him.
In his letter, however, the member pointed out that there was "every legitimate reason to believe that there will be no development in this file for a long time."
With files from Radio-Canada