Arrest Warrant For Olympic Medallist Bedard
Posted December 14, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Quebec police have issued an arrest warrant for Olympic gold medallist Myriam Bedard over concerns she may have kidnapped her 11-year-old daughter to the United States.
The girl’s father, Jean Paquet, filed a complaint with police on December 5, police said. Last month police admitted they were conducting an investigation but said at the time there was no allegation of kidnapping. They have a joint-custody agreement.
Bedard, who won Olympic gold in the biathlon event, apparently went to the U.S. in October with her husband Nima Mazhara.
According to reports there was no attempt to conceal that trip. The couple sent letters to Canadian and international officials in order to help prove that Mazhara was innocent of stealing paintings by a Montreal artist. He denied the allegation and the couple contends they’ve been unfairly treated by the Canadian government.
The well-known athlete has been in the news before – and not because of her achievements in sport. Earlier in 2006, Bedard claimed giving testimony in the sponsorship scandal had had a damaging effect on her life.
She testified that former prime minister Jean Chretien’s decision not to enter the Iraq war was based on Mazhari’s advice.
Chretien’s former chief of staff Jean Pelletier was fired from Via after making belittling comments about Bedard. Bedard, a former Via employee, had previously slammed the rail company for its operations.
Pelletier, Via’s chairman, was fired by then-prime minister Paul Martin, but a federal judge later overturned the dismissal.
Photo Credit: Gabriel Bouys, AFP
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