The former DG of Laval receives two years in prison

Archival Photo Pierre-Paul Poulin
Claude Asselin

Jean-Louis Fortin

Wednesday, 18 October 2017 11:46

UPDATE
Wednesday, 18 October 2017 11:46

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The ex-director general of Laval Claude Asselin took the road to the prison Wednesday for his involvement in the system of corruption and collusion of public contracts of the city.

The day after his birthday, Asselin, 74 years old, has been sentenced to a prison sentence farm of two years less a day. He will be eligible for parole at one-sixth of his sentence, but will have to comply with a probation of two years thereafter.

He presented himself at the palace of justice in Laval with two small bags containing her personal effects and was jailed immediately after the sentencing.

Standing in front of the Court, the ex-director-general has expressed regret, explaining that it had entered into an agreement civilly to recover sums of money to the third largest city in Quebec. The terms of this agreement, however, are confidential.

Guidelines

By sending Asselin behind bars, judge James Brunton, of the superior Court, recalled that the former senior official had knowledge of the scheme criminal in the City hall of Laval between 1996 and 2006.

Following the instructions of the ex-mayor Gilles Vaillancourt, he gave instructions to the ex-director of engineering, Claude Of Guise, in order that the contact designated contractors the winners of the tenders arranged.

Sometimes, Asselin brought corrections to the winners identified in advance, following the launch of tenders. He was also aware of a ploy cartel involving the engineering firms that did business with the City of Laval, according to the agreed statement of facts presented in Court.

The evidence amassed by the police has shown that companies involved in the collusion gave a discount in cash, in function of the value of the public contracts they were getting from the administration Vaillancourt.

Wednesday morning, the judge Brunton has pointed out as aggravating factors the planning and the premeditation of the fraud, as well as the fact that the criminal acts had been committed then that Asselin was an official who had the confidence of the public.

Regrets ” sincere “

“The Court noted the regrets that the accused has expressed and considers them to be sincere “, however, has mentioned the magistrate, adding that Asselin has a low risk of reoffending and that he gave certain sums of money to the City of Laval.

The ex-director general had been arrested along with 36 other people, including Gilles Vaillancourt, in may 2013. He had pleaded guilty in early October, on charges of conspiracy and fraud over $5000.

For its part, Vaillancourt has admitted his guilt in December 2016 and purge since that time a penalty of six years in penitentiary.

Claude De Guise, himself, has been sentenced in July to 30 months in prison.

Who is Claude Asselin ?

• Graduate in civil engineering and urban planning
• Hired with the City of Laval in 1969. There will be a career for 38 years.
• Director-general of the Ville de Laval from 1988 to 2006
• Vice-president of the engineering firm Dessau from 2006 to 2013
• A director of the firm urban Gauthier Biancamano Bolduc / Plania, (a subsidiary of Dessau) until 2014
• Testified at the Charbonneau commission in June 2013