Archived: Consul of Syria Nelly Kanou: Drug smuggling

Nelly Kanou (right), honorary consul of Syria in Montreal and co-owner of four Jean Coutu stores in the West Island, and his sister and business partner, Tania Kanou (left)

The representative of the Assad regime in Montreal has just been pinned for his role in an illegal export system for hundreds of thousands of dollars in drugs to the Middle East.

Nelly Kanou, honorary consul of Syria in Montreal and co-owner of four Jean Coutu stores in the West Island, pleaded guilty to three charges before the Disciplinary Board of the College of Pharmacists yesterday .

It has recognized that it had illegally participated, from 2008 to 2011, the sale of $ 1.5 million in drugs at a Montreal company that made the export of pharmaceutical products to abroad, especially to the Middle -orient without the necessary permits for this purpose.

According to his lawyer, Jean-Claude Dubé, it was a “humanitarian mission” to help hospitals in its region of origin, even if it is spared a profit margin. For his part, counsel for the syndicates of the Order called the disciplinary charges of “particular concern and serious with regard to protecting the public.”

Unless a turnaround, it will lose its title of pharmacist for one year for offenses committed at the suggestion of his own lawyer and that of the syndicates.

With another honorary consul in Vancouver, Ms. Kanou is the highest representative of the Assad regime in the country for the expulsion of most of the Syrian diplomatic staff of Canada in 2012. This followed the killing of a hundred Syrians – including children – occurred at that time in the village of Houla and attributed to pro-Government forces. Montreal consulate, which set up shop, however, was spared.

Another event last year

Ms. Kanou had embarrassed the federal government last year with the publication of a recent photograph where she appeared smiling with Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, John Baird. It then stated that he had been “trapped” by a Syrian artist and he does not expect to meet a representative of the Assad regime.

Sister and business partner of the Consul, Tania Kanou, was also convicted of the same charges. His implication being less, it will remain a pharmacist, but must pay a fine of 37 500 $.

Illegal sale

For three years, Nelly and Tania Kanou illegally sold drugs or illegally acted as intermediaries for the sale of medicines worth 1.5 million in Mont-Pharma inc., Export company owned by a businessman of origin Jordanian. These products resulted “especially in the Middle East, but also in South America,” according to the syndicates of the Order, Lynda Chartrand.

The pharmacists were first procured themselves prescription drugs in Mont-Pharma inc. for about 1.1 million, which is strictly forbidden: Quebec pharmacists can provide these products only to patients with a medical prescription in good standing.

Nelly and Tania Kanou also served as an intermediary between Mont-Pharma inc. and two drug wholesalers. These pharmacies were charging Ms. Kanou and engaged products in Mont-Pharma inc. Then pharmacists billed Mont-Pharma inc. This modus operandi is “an act derogatory to the honor or dignity of the profession” because it allowed wholesalers to “sell illegally” their merchandise, according to the indictment.

“Humanitarian Vocation”

The lawyer Nelly and Tania Kanou, Jean-Claude Dubé, pleaded that his client had simply wanted to help hospitals in Syria and the Middle East. They were unaware that they had no right to sell drugs or serve as intermediary for the sale of drugs to an exporter, he assured.

“They take the lesson, the hard they learn the lesson,” said the lawyer. “This sanction then [one year of radiation] is not easy. […] It is a punishment that is severe. It could have an impact on his status as Consul here in Canada. “

The syndicates Lynda Chartrand said the pharmacists are spared a profit margin of “between 5 and 9% depending on the products’ transaction. “Usually, it was 5%,” she has said.

“They did not act out of greed, but by purely humanitarian. I’m not saying that there was no gain “, then argued Jean-Claude Dubé.

Nelly Kanou did not speak during the hearing yesterday, except to confirm that it pleaded guilty.She would not answer our questions.

http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/justice-et-affaires-criminelles/actualites-judiciaires/201509/09/01-4899158-exportation-de-medicaments-la-consule-de-la-syrie-epinglee.php