Montreal police chief Fady Dagher had to repay several hundred dollars in inappropriate purchases made with public money last year, including some with his city credit card.
In September 2023, the City of Montreal paid the costs of a dinner for Mr. Dagher in Prince Edward Island in the sum of $270, according to documents that we obtained following a request from access to information.
Mr. Dagher was in the Maritimes to attend a police networking conference. On the menu, each guest was offered a feast of unlimited seafood and oysters.
However, it turns out that the police chief’s expense seriously exceeded the limit of authorized expenses for a dinner, which is set at $60.45. Ten weeks later, the director of the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) signed a check payable to the City to reimburse the expensive dinner.
“Mr. Dagher wishes to reimburse the entire meal costs of $270 to the City of Montreal,” we can read in particular in a report that the Director’s Office communicated to the City.
The SPVM media relations department indicates that the expenses for the dinner were claimed from the City following an error by a staff member. The police chief also reimbursed the City for the purchase of his convention ticket and other food expenses in the amount of $150.
In the same month that Mr. Dagher made his reimbursements, November 2023, other elected officials and city officials reimbursed old restaurant bills, following our questions and revelations.
USE BY “INADVERTANCE”
Also last fall, Mr. Dagher wrote another check for $241.76 to the City to reimburse personal expenses made with the City credit card.
The nature of these expenses is not specified in the documents provided to us by the City following our request for access to information.
According to the SPVM, these purchases were made “inadvertently […] for personal expenses during a vacation period” by Mr. Dagher.
