MLA never spoke to foreign investors

A Liberal MLA whose companies have benefited from an immigrant investor fund says the deal was arranged by his lawyer and accountant.

Bush Dumville, owner of Burger King in Charlottetown, told CBC News on Wednesday his company received investments from potential immigrants last fall, but that he has never communicated with them.

"It's an opportunity to inject capital in your company and use it for purchasing of new equipment in the company itself," said Dumville of why he was interested in the program.

The money came through the Provincial Nominee Program, which was designed to match would-be Canadian immigrants with Island businesses. The program began about 2001 on P.E.I. and typically attracted a few hundred applicants a year. The program ended Sep. 2, and in its last five months there were 2,000 applications. Each put up $200,000.

In the last week the program became mired in controversy, with questions raised about the quality and appropriateness of the investments the immigrants made as part of it. The government has said the investments were private arrangements between individuals and companies.

Dumville said all his business arrangements were approved by the conflict of interest commissioner, but he would not go into detail of the investments.

"I don't really want to get into private aspects of my business," he said.

"I don't mind talking about the procedure."

Public documents show Dumville Restaurants Ltd. has two foreign investors: Chen Chuan Song, and someone with the last name Hossein.