Montreal Gazette

Wednesday 13 December 2000

Man got access to ex-wife's file Another car insurance board employee illegally accesses confidential government database SEAN GORDON The Gazette

A third employee at Quebec's car insurance board has been disciplined for illegally accessing a confidential drivers' license database.

Transport Minister Guy Chevrette confirmed in the National Assembly yesterday that a man working in a

data-processing unit at the Societe d'Assurance Automobile du Quebec was arrested after digging up information on his ex-wife.

"The third mole that we're talking about here is a case that's under investigation that has no link of any sort with organized crime. It's an individual who is divorced who was looking for his wife," he said.

The SAAQ confirmed that an employee was arrested last Friday after allegedly harassing his ex-wife, whom he had tracked down through the drivers' license database.

Auditor-general Guy Breton said the recent revelations concerning the improper use of data could well be the wakeup call the government needs to tighten up its computer security.

Last week, police arrested a SAAQ employee on charges she gave vital information to the Rock Machine. Earlier this fall, the Montreal Urban Community police began investigating another woman who works for a SAAQ

licensing agent on suspicion she gave data to the Hells Angels.

Breton has been harshly critical in the past about data security in government departments, and said yesterday that the government is more concerned about reacting to crises than preventing them.

"Up to a point, I'm glad this happened ... it took 30 years before we had two good samples about what can happen when you're not serious about the security of computers," he said. "I guess the proof is there now, people will take this advice seriously."

As he arrived at the government's weekly caucus meeting, Premier Lucien Bouchard vowed to step up the fight against the leaks.

"We will do everything that can be done to prevent this from occurring again. It's completely unacceptable, it's outrageous.

"And the government takes it very seriously. We will see to it that this will not happen again, we will take the means to do that," Bouchard said.

While Chevrette downplayed the significance of the latest breach, troubling new information has arisen concerning the mole who apparently leaked information to the Hells Angels.

According to a report in La Presse, a 42-year-old woman working for a SAAQ subcontractor gave 11 files to the biker gang. Of those people, three were murdered and four have been the target of murder attempts. The woman is also believed to have accessed the file of Journal de Montreal crime reporter Michel Auger. On Sept. 13, Auger survived five gunshots from a would-be assassin that police believe could well be tied to the Hells Angels.

The newspaper revealed that the woman in question is a high-ranking gang member's mistress.

Kevin Dougherty of the Gazette Quebec Bureau contributed to this report

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), December 13, 2000