MP Manon Perreault found guilty of public mischief

Former New Democrat MP Manon Perreault, who has been sitting as an Independent, has been found guilty of public mischief for reporting a theft that never happened.

Judge Bruno Leclerc in Quebec court in Joliette found that Perreault told police some items had been stolen from her office when she knew that a former employee had them and had offered to return them.

Perreault never told police that the former employee had the items.

A staffer went to retrieve the items, but the former employee needed Perreault to sign off on some expense claims and didn't want to involve the other staffer, the judge found. The former employee would also return the items only if she was provided a receipt confirming their return.

Perreault said she called the police to get a case number to provide to explain the missing office inventory and didn't know it would entail an investigation.

The judge also found that Perreault's testimony didn't raise any reasonable doubt about the allegations against her.

The case was heard Dec. 19 but the decision rendered Friday.

Court records released last December show Perreault is also being investigated for fraud against the government and breach of trust. The RCMP obtained a production order for the House of Commons and a search warrant for her Mascouche, Que., riding office.

The Mounties sought copies of Perreault's expenses and any documents regarding her brother's hiring in her office, as well as copies of his expenses.