A few days ago, we announced right here that Sylvain Longpré, one of the pioneers in Quebec in the field of electronic cigarettes, brought a lawsuit for $ 27,8 million against the Attorney General of Canada, Health Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Today, we learn that 30 witnesses assigned by the public prosecutor should be heard to try to prove the guilt of Sylvain Longpré and his company Vaporium to the criminal charges of illegal importation of liquid nicotine.
PUBLIC DEPARTMENT REPLIES TO PURSUIT OF VAPORIUM MANAGER
The former manager of the company which was established at Galeries 4-Saisons in Sherbrooke until 2016 must defend himself from having introduced or attempted to introduce illegally goods liable to duties or whose importation is prohibited.
The events allegedly took place at the East Hereford border crossing on some 2013 occasions over a period of eight months between November 2015 and May XNUMX. During this period, false or misleading indications were allegedly provided during the importation of nicotine liquid in Canada. Sylvain Longpré also allegedly made misleading statements and attempted to smuggle liquid nicotine into Canada through the Stanstead border crossing.
Sylvain Longpré will defend himself alone during this trial scheduled for December 5, 2017. Through documentary evidence, the public prosecutor intends to demonstrate the import of 500 kg of liquid nicotine. The other accusations concern a small personal quantity that Sylvain Longpré had on him during his interceptions at the border crossing.
«The main workhorse for the prosecution is the repeated importation of liquid nicotine"Explained to the judge Conrad Chapdelaine of the Court of Quebec, the federal criminal and penal prosecuting attorney, Me Frank D'Amours. Christian Longpré, who was the vice-president of the company Vaporium, is accused of his actions that allegedly occurred on January 6, 2015 at the Stanstead border post.
He is accused of illegally importing liquid nicotine into Canada. The latter intends to dispute that the 80 liters of liquid nicotine in its raw state do not contravene the Food and Drugs Act once they are used in electronic cigarettes.
Without going further in the debate, Me D'Amours replied that the accusations concerned the Customs Act. Christian Longpré admitted the nature and quantity of the substance seized. However, the prosecution will have to prove that he tried to conceal them through bags of wood pellets in the cube truck he was driving back to Canada and that he did not report the liquid nicotine to border services officers in the country. Canada.
«This concealment can have an impact», Explained Me D'Amours in court.
In parallel with these criminal charges, Sylvain Longpré went on the attack in the context of civil proceedings.
The one who claims to be one of the pioneers in Quebec in the field of electronic cigarettes, filed a lawsuit last June a civil suit of $ 27,8 million against the Attorney General of Canada, Health Canada and the Agence des Canada Border Services (CBSA) for damages suffered as a result of searches and charges against him and his businesses in 2014.
Sylvain Longpré filed this lawsuit in his own name and that of the two companies he chairs, Vaporium and Vaperz Canada Inc. In this lawsuit, he assesses the damages at more than $ 27 million. Mr. Longpré asked the court if civil and criminal cases could proceed at the same time, but Judge Chapdelaine told him that the two cases remain separate.
Source : Lapresse.ca/
