Trial of Tony Accurso: a system that is “vast and well established” in Laval

Photo courtesy
Tony Accurso (left)

Jean-Louis Fortin

Thursday, 19 October 2017 09:36

UPDATE
Thursday, 19 October 2017 09:39

Look at this article

The system of corruption and share of public contracts in Laval was “huge and well-established”, pointed to the Crown on Thursday at the opening of the trial of the construction entrepreneur Tony Accurso.

Accurso, age 66, is facing 5 charges, including corruption in municipal affairs, conspiracy to fraud and fraud over$ 5,000 towards the city of Laval.

He allegedly participated in the scheme which involved, in particular the ex-mayor of Laval, Gilles Vaillancourt, the former general manager Claude Asselin, and the former director of engineering of the City, Claude Of Guise.

“Accurso was close to the soul leader of the fraud scheme, Gilles Vaillancourt. Several meetings occurred between the two men,” has supported Me Richard Rougeau, the Crown prosecutor, in her opening statement.

According to him, with the complicity of certain leaders, Residents, contractors including Mr. Accurso were able to agree in advance on the identity of the winner of public tenders.

“It eliminates the mechanism of competition, so take the price of the contracts to the top”, he argued before the jury.

The whole thing would have been looked after to be shot many bribes, according to the lawsuit.

“This contribution, in cash, in brown envelopes, to the shelter of the glances, (…) was the price to pay for fraudulently obtaining contracts in partial shade of competition,” said ms. Rougeau.

The facts allegedly took place between 1996 and 2010, according to the indictment.

37 people including Gilles Vaillancourt, were arrested in may 2013 following an investigation by the Unité permanente anticorruption (UPAC).

Accurso, ex-owner firms, construction Louisbourg and Simard-Beaudry, is the last person to be tried in this case.

He has pleaded not-guilty to all charges against him.

The trial could last until January. “We are starting a marathon and not a race of 100 metres,” said the jury in the judge James Brunton, of the superior Court, Thursday morning.

The Crown will be heard as the first witness, the former construction entrepreneur Gilles Théberge, who has notably worked for the firms of Sintra and Valmont Nadon.

More details to come.