Auditor- General testifies at the Gomery Commission-"unwritten deals, missing documents and untendered contracting were common practice"

"The goverment watchdog who helped expose sponsorship waste told an inquiry Monday that "Canadians expect better" than the problem-plagued process under which $800 million in ad contracts were doled out.

Auditor General Sheila Fraser told the Gomery inquiry that unwritten deals, missing documents and untendered contracting were common practice in government advertising through the 1990s and up to 2003.

"The amounts concerned are very large, nearly $800 million over a five-year period (1998 to 2003). And I could conclude by saying that Canadians expect better when public funds are spent."

Additional....

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1112141488044_3?s_name=&no_ads=

"Tremblay said her boss, Chuck Guite, came to her in 1997 with directives from Gagliano to hide the true source of the plaque project's funding.

"Guite told me Mr. Gagliano wanted to put money from the sponsorship program into this event that was taking place in Italy, but that there must not be a paper trail in our government (office)," she said under questioning from commission lawyer Guy Cournoyer.

Asked by Cournoyer whether the directives came from Gagliano himself or officials in his office, Tremblay replied: "Mr. Guite told me the minister himself." .....

So we have unwritten deals, missing documents and untendered contracting and allegations of making sure there was no paper trail-in the USA this might be construed as racketeering. In Canada, it's called "no recall".