▁department ▁job ▁at ▁Via ▁Rail ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁shortly ▁after ▁raising ▁concerns ▁about ▁the ▁company ' s ▁deal ings ▁with ▁advert iser ▁Group action . ▁Res p ons es ▁to ▁her ▁alleg ations ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁fir ings ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁later ▁of ▁Via ▁Rail ▁chair ▁Jean ▁Pel let ier ▁and ▁president ▁Marc ▁Le Fran çois . ▁ ▁However , ▁in ▁testim ony ▁before ▁the ▁Stand ing ▁Committee ▁on ▁Public ▁Account s ▁in ▁late ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁B éd ard ▁made ▁further ▁alleg ations ▁that ▁were ▁met ▁with ▁w ides p read ▁ske ptic ism : ▁she ▁claimed ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁been ▁told ▁that ▁Group action ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing , ▁that ▁her ▁partner ▁N ima ▁Maz h ari ▁had ▁personally ▁convinced ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Chr ét ien ▁to ▁keep ▁Canada ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁Ira q , ▁and ▁that ▁Qu éb é co is ▁race ▁car ▁legend ▁Jacques ▁Vill ene uve ▁had ▁been ▁paid ▁$ 1 2 ▁million ▁to ▁wear ▁a ▁Canadian ▁flag ▁on ▁his ▁uniform . ▁Vill ene uve ▁strongly ▁denied ▁the ▁latter ▁alleg ation , ▁calling ▁it ▁" l ud ic r ous ." ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁C BC ▁News , ▁an ▁arbitr ator ' s ▁report ▁later ▁concluded ▁that ▁B éd ard ▁had ▁volunt arily ▁left ▁Via ▁Rail . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁a ▁Canada - wide ▁arrest ▁war rant ▁was ▁issued ▁for ▁B éd ard ▁for ▁the ▁ab du