Documents obtained by the TVA network suggest former premier Jean Charest had been a subject of a major investigation into political corruption and breach of trust until at least 2016.
Those documents show Charest and former Liberal party fundraiser Marc Bibeau were targeted by the probe. They also show UPAC made several information requests, including a list of all the times they crossed the border from 2003 to 2016, personal banking statements and Charest's passport information.
Investigators also possibly had plans to listen in on private communications between the two in January of 2016, though it's not clear if that actually happened.
A statement from UPAC on Tuesday confirms the investigation is an "active" investigation, but also suggests it's conducting an internal investigation into who leaked the information to TVA.
Neither Charest nor Bibeau have been charged in the investigation.
Charest reacted to the claims Tuesday evening through his lawyer Gregory Larroque, saying, "I take note of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions’ declaration stating that no file has been transmitted to them. I will make no other comments, if only to reaffirm that I have done nothing wrong."
While there's been no formal comment from premier Philippe Couillard on the allegations, the opposition in Quebec City were quick to denounce the affair, and the Liberals.
PQ leader Jean-François Lisée said Quebecers "cannot move on until and unless we get to the bottom of this affair," while the CAQ's justice critic Simon Jolin-Barrette pointed out that Couillard had been a part of the Charest government since Charest took power in 2003.
“When Premier Couillard says ‘I have nothing to do with that,’ wait a minute, because he was part of that,” said Jolin-Barrette.
With files from CTV Montreal