One of Canada’s most famous fugitives has died from leukemia at his home in Panama. He was 85.
John C. Doyle, who was once called an “evil genius” by former federal and provincial cabinet minister John Crosbie, fled from Newfoundland to Panama in 1973 rather than face almost 400 charges of fraud and breach of trust that also implicated former Newfoundland premier Joey Smallwood.
Doyle arrived in Newfoundland to develop Wabush Mines in Labrador through Montreal-based Canadian Javelin. He also acquired local timber concessions and floated the idea of building a linerboard mill. The Newfoundland government was desperate to create jobs and agreed to finance construction. Although millions in provincial money flowed to Canadian Javelin to build the mill, not all of it found its way into the company’s coffers. Doyle allegedly defrauded the Newfoundland government of $10 million. He continued to draw an income from Javelin subsidiaries until 1985, when Quebec courts stripped him of his shares, and the company changed its name to Nalcap Holdings.
When Crosbie was the federal justice minister, he tried to have Doyle extradited to face the pending charges. However, Doyle had by then become a citizen of Panama and, as such, was protected by the constitution, which forbids the extradition of Panamanian nationals.
Doyle had considerable holdings in Panama and lived in the penthouse of a 20-story building overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
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