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Subscribe to RSSCynthia Vanier is being held in a Mexican jail on suspicion of attempting to help members of the Gadhafi family out of Libya as the Libyan regime was crumbling. CBC's Dave Seglins talks with Vanier about her situation.
A Canadian citizen being held in a Mexican jail on suspicion of attempting to help members of the Gadhafi family out of Libya as the Libyan regime was crumbling says she's been set up and called on her government to speak out.
"I've lost a lot," Cynthia Vanier told CBC. "My family suffered, as have all our families."
Vanier has been locked up in a prison in Chetumel, along the border with Belize, for five months, charged with helping finance planes, obtaining fake passports and attempting to smuggle members of the Gadhafi family out of Libya.
One of Moammar Gadhafi's sons, Saadi, managed to escape to Niger after his father was toppled. Vanier denies she ever met Saadi.
The woman showed CBC signed contracts for work in Libya through a partnership between her company, Vanier Consulting, and Canadian engineering and construction firm SNC-Lavalin, which had construction projects underway in Libya before the Gadhafi regime fell. She says her company was hired for fact finding, consulting work, arranging planes and planning how to move employees back to Libya once the conflict died down.
Vanier was arrested in November while she was in Mexico setting up a water meeting for SNC-Lavalin. She says prosecutors tried her in the media before she was even charged.
In a meeting with President Barrack Obama and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Washington last week, Mexican President Felipe Calderon called Vanier's arrest a success.
"Ive been basically accused of being a criminal by the leader of this country when I haven't gone through the process yet," Vanier told CBC. "So how can Canada sit back and say it's OK?"
Vanier is appealing her charges and awaiting trial.
Gadhafi was killed in an Oct. 20 fight between his supporters and rebels in the town of Sirte, where he was born and which was a stronghold of his supporters.
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Another murky story, with not much info, where a citizen gets the shaft. let's all speculate, it's open season.
Let the rant begin.......
I agree - why do they even bother to put up these stories? There is so little information that isn't even worthy of a "Tweet" let alone an article. We have nothing to even consider.
This story leaves alot to the amagination. It stinks
There 's a story in every story. This woman had had dealings with former regime, unfortunately. Her luck ran out after Gadhafi's luck ran out. Naturally.
And too bad for her she ended up in Mexico, of all places, where its president haven't had much success to report in managing his country; so this was a rare opportunity to score some point.
(Mexican President Felipe Calderon called Vanier's arrest a success).
Let's hope her government comes to her rescue pronto. She doesn't look like a garbage material of a woman; but if left too long in Mexican jail, she will be. This woman's an asset to Canada. She's a Canadian, for heaven's sake!
BARRACK? Seriously? What high school did you graduate from?
Uh Huh...she was involved in business with Libya, which did include air travel and transportation. Now then someone just threw a dart to snare an innocent person and it just happened to hit her? Or in the heat of the battle with a lot of money under the table did she and the others in her business just happen to take some easy money? Hmmmmmmm......
As intriguing as a Bologna sandwich on white bread....hey that sounds a lot better, I am going to get one. bye.
Its best to just not work for any companies that do business in any rogue country, not even mc donalds.
Even she does not dispute the charges, just that she has not been tried as yet and that the press is against her.
mont. bill,
When she's arrested a charge will follow regardless. It's immaterial whether she disputes or not. She's not in position right now to argue; and worse for her, she may even end up used as a pawn, bait, or report card of success.
This woman had just found herself in an unenvious position.
Her fate's in Mexican President Felipe Calderon's hands...or Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper's hands.
Let's hope she's in luck this time.
Oh dear, Gaddafi's bag lady from Canada get caught! Too bad so sad, have fun in a Mexican jail forever Sweetie!
A female Canadian tied to a family of terrorists? Let her a$$ rot in Mexican hell if she had ANY dealings with Gadhaffi or his family. If not, the Canadian government should demand her release.
Hot enough fer ya, EH?
Sounds like the company she worked for had dealings with the Libyan gov. before the revolution. Is she then liable for doing her job? Did she know her job was to aid and abed a regime that was about to fail? Did the company she worked for get their money, andlet her be thrown under the bus? Or, is she guilty of everything they say? Only a court of law can answer these questions.
It looks like she'd been thrown under the bus.
Her (Canadian) government should emulate the US government, which always stands by its citizens, no matter what.
She went and broke the law, probably conplicitly. The company can not protect her because they broke the laws as well and their Controller is a Muslim hiding in Tunisia! Good riddance!
she helps getting fake passports, but she was set up?
She helps getting money for airplanes, but she was set up?
Anyone who believes a criminal that claims that he or she was set up should be allowed to slap handcuffs on those suckers.
Heard last night on the news that the company that she worked for has been raided by the RCMP. Something fishy here, as two 'big wigs' of the company left shortly after this story broke.
Having said that, unfortunately, our government has a sad history of not helping our citizens out when they get into trouble overseas.
Who should care even if she did. Gadafi was probably better than what is in place now. Just because he was not supportive of US policies he get shafted. It will be a long time before Libya is in as good a shape as it was under Gadafi, and many more have died because of the rebellion.