13 accomplices of Gilles Vaillancourt plead guilty

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Gilles Vaillancour, ex-mayor of Laval

Hugo Joncas

Tuesday, 11 July, 2017 14:05

UPDATE
Tuesday, 11 July, 2017 14:05

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Thirteen contractors and engineers involved in the scheme of corruption and collusion in Laval come to plead guilty. The parties have also registered a joint proposal of 30 months in prison for the former director of engineering of the municipality, Claude Deguise.

The ex-employee had already pleaded guilty to charges of fraud and corruption in municipal affairs. He is considered to have orchestrated the system of corruption and collusion in public contracts, under the reign of former mayor Gilles Vaillancourt.

One wore a simple white t-shirt to the court and looked ready to take the path of the prison.

This morning, 13 other defendants have pleaded guilty to charges of corruption in municipal affairs, breach of trust and fraud against the government. The parties have filed proposed penalties joint for most of them, ranging from one year imprisonment to be served in the community, to 21 months in prison.

Among them are eight contractors and five engineers who participated in the system. In exchange for their guilty pleas, the Director of criminal and penal prosecutions accepts to drop the counts of conspiracy to fraud and to have helped the ex-mayor Gilles Vaillancourt to commit a breach of trust.

Here is the list of the individuals sentenced today :

– Guy Desjardins

– Mario Desrochers

Louis Farley

– Laval Gagnon

– Guy Jobin

– Carl Ladouceur

– Patrick Lavallée

– Luc Lemay

– Mike Mergl

– Joseph Molluso

– François Perreault

– Yves Théberge

– Leonardo Moscato

The judge must make known their awards later in the day. Laval Gagnon, Mike Mergl and Giuseppe Molluso need to come back on September 20 for their. Guy Desjardins should his side come back on the 24th of August.

The prosecution has filed the charges following the operation Honor, aimed at dismantling the system of corruption and collusion in public contracts in Laval.

Three defendants also present this morning, Yannick Bouchard, Rosaire Sauriol and Alain Filiatrault, have not pleaded guilty today and must come back before the court on 24 August.

In the context of this trial, Gilles Vaillancourt has already pleaded guilty last September to charges of fraud, conspiracy to fraud and breach of trust, while agreeing to repay$ 8.5 Million to the City of Laval.