A VP of Investissement Québec was fired without pay because he allegedly concealed alcohol expenses
Posted at 1:32 a.m.
Updated at 5:43 a.m.
The former number three at Investissement Québec, fired last November, allegedly participated in a “stratagem” to ensure that the state company “unwittingly paid for alcoholic drinks” for 340 of its employees invited to a party.
This is what Quebec’s financial arm says in its response to the 2.7 million lawsuit filed by its former first vice-president of the regional network, Jocelyn Beauchesne, in February.
The former manager had invited the members of his division to the Hilton Double Tree hotel at the Complexe Desjardins on November 21, 2023, explains the state company in its defense. During the evening, he allegedly addressed the 340 guests to tell them that he had “arranged” to have “alcohol at the expense of Investissement Québec, in violation of the applicable policy.”
He would have added to have ensured “that the invoice did not indicate that the hotel served alcoholic drinks” and “that this had to remain between the employees present”, according to the defense of the state company, consulted by The Press.
340 “accomplices”
“In other words, a member of the management committee of Investissement Québec, who has the duty to be the guardian of the values and integrity of the organization, publicly affirmed to its 340 employees that he was acting in such a way as to deceive Investissement Québec in order to knowingly violate a policy and the latter’s code of ethics, while asking them to be complicit in this conduct,” mentions the financial arm of the State in its defense.
Investissement Québec specifies that a colleague of Beauchesne had first requested permission to pay for alcohol to employees.
“We cannot take a package that includes alcohol. If employees wish to drink alcohol, this is done at their expense,” the human resources department reportedly responded.
Despite this refusal, she would have arranged with the hotel so that the finance department of Investissement Québec “is unaware that the service invoiced included the alcohol service”. The gesture was therefore “premeditated”, underlines the state company.
After a request for access to information, The Montreal Journal revealed in February that the reception had cost $115,186 in total, including only $8,716 for coupons giving access to drinks, alcoholic or not.
Denunciation
No other members of management were present at the evening. “The incident was the subject of a denunciation the day after the event,” indicates Investissement Québec.
Two days later, Beauchesne and his collaborator allegedly admitted the facts during a meeting.
The following week, the state corporation fired Beauchesne for having “violated a rule of governance,” without providing further details, as reported The Press at the time.
The former vice president then filed a $2.7 million lawsuit against her, denouncing “her ouster from the workplace, without notice or compensation.”
In its defense, Investissement Québec judges that Beauchesne “deceived” his employer in a “premeditated gesture”.
His “insubordination in the face of instructions received” demonstrates “a serious lack of judgment,” asserts the state-owned company. “This was a willful, public and inexcusable violation of the plaintiff’s obligations as a member of the Executive Committee and his duty of loyalty. »
“Bad faith,” says Beauchesne
In his suit, the ex-VP considers on the contrary the conduct of his ex-employer “offensive, negligent, hasty, closed, blinded, stubborn”.
In his suit, he denounces “his ouster from the workplace, without notice or compensation”, judging that Investissement Québec demonstrates an “irregular” attitude and “bad faith”.
According to Jocelyn Beauchesne, the Crown corporation would have aggravated its “already grossly abusive and very seriously damaging misconduct” by communicating with the media about his dismissal.
Beauchesne plans to interview in the coming weeks Guy Leblanc, CEO of Investissement Québec until February, Marie Zakaïb, first vice-president of human resources, and Julie Bouchard, head of internal audit, among others.
His total compensation was $674,303, which includes bonuses and benefits. He was not entitled to any compensation when he was fired.
Contacted by The Press, Jocelyn Beauchesne refused to comment on Investissement Québec’s defense. His lawyer, Bernard Moreau, simply reiterated that his client “disputes the allegations of embezzlement made against him”.
Jocelyn Beauchesne, employed by Investissement Québec since 2017, emphasizes in his lawsuit that he achieved “the merger of the operations of the regional offices” of the state corporation with those of the Ministry of the Economy.
He says he rose “to the very front row” in 2022, as first vice-president of the regional network. He also joined the management, credit and investment committees before his fall.
Beauchesne’s 2.7 million claim includes 1.55 million in earnings for two years of service and 1.12 million in damages, notably for damage to his reputation.
