St. Clair Armitage cleared of all charges in MUHC fraud case
Former MUHC consultant, arrested in June 2014, says dropped charges won't repair damaged reputation
All charges have been dropped against St. Clair Martin Armitage, the British consultant who helped the McGill University Health Centre negotiate the building of its new superhospital.
But Armitage, who was initially charged for his alleged role in the awarding of contracts, said his reputation and finances have been left in ruins.
The charges were withdrawn on Oct. 3, 29 months after Armitage flew to Montreal and turned himself into police, protesting his innocence in connection with the alleged $22.5 million fraud.
"I and my family are relieved that the nightmare of the last 29 months is finally over," he said in a statement released on Nov. 7, after the 30 day appeal deadline had elapsed. "However, withdrawal of the charges at this point can only go some way to repairing the damage."
Armitage left Canada in April 2010 to work at Cambridge University Hospital in the United Kingdom. He signed a four-year consulting agreement shortly before the charges were filed against him, but once word got out that he was wanted in Canada, he lost his job.
Now that the charges have been dropped, he said he considers the whole episode to have been a legal error in which he was an innocent victim, and he is relieved to be able to get on with his life.
"I feel very strongly that if the authorities had chosen to speak with me before making their decision to charge, my family and I could have been spared great suffering," he said in the statement.
"The time and money spent prosecuting me would have been much better spent on improving the healthcare outcomes of the people of Montreal, which is what the MUHC Glen project is all about."
Charges also dropped against Jeremy Morris
Armitage is the second person in the MUHC fraud case to see charges against them dropped.
On Oct. 24, charges were withdrawn against Jeremy Morris, one of the principal holders of Bahamas-based Sierra Asset Management, a company that was alleged to have been a go-between for illegal transactions involving fixing the bid for the superhospital contract.
In December 2014, Pamela Porter, the wife of the late Arthur Porter, pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering in relation to the MUHC fraud case. A conspiracy charge against her was dropped.
Five other people arrested in connection with the allegations are still before the court.