Commission Charbonneau: Union Montreal received $ 150,000 to fight demergers

The Union Montreal party sought financial support of 15 construction companies to carry out the campaign against municipal demergers in 2004. Each contributed $10,000 to help the unity of the new city.

It is the former organizer of Union Montreal, Martin Dumont, who explained this financing activity while unpicks the Party of Mayor Gérald Tremblay practices before the commission Charbonneau.

Candidate defeated in 2001, Mr. Dumont became special advisor to Mayor Tremblay. He held this position until 2004. It is at this time that he made the jump from Union Montreal, as Manager of the districts of the East of the island.

The year 2004 was a year of referendum campaign during which Union Montreal has made funding without there is determined ceiling. Mr. Dumont told attending a breakfast held at the deceased club Saint-Denis.

Fourteen representatives of companies were present, each having paid $10,000 to meet with Mayor Tremblay. Was there including Nicolò Maung of Mivela Construction. He had invited Mr. Dumont to call him Mr. Trottoir since he had trouble pronouncing his name, recounted the witness.

One person who had planned to be there could arise; Martin Dumont therefore visited St. Lawrence in Construction Garnier to pick up an envelope containing a cheque.

In total, Union Montreal therefore collected $150,000 to fight the demergers.

The event had been organized by the funding within the party Manager, Bernard Trépanier. He was an employee of the party from 2004 to 2006. Thereafter, it continued its activities without be paid officially by Union Montreal.

Mr. Trépanier held as Mr. Dumont, Christian Ouellet, Director general of the party, and a map of access to the Town Hall. Thus, Mr. Trépanier who regularly frequented the corridors of City Hall, including at the Office of the president of the Executive Committee, Frank Zampino, that did not need to identify each time.

Zampino ‘corrupted’ by a business man

The former President of the Executive Committee of the city of Montreal, Frank Zampino has been corrupted repeatedly by the Catania contractor for the development of the real estate project Faubourg Contrecoeur. The right his Mayor Gérald Tremblay would thus pocketed bribes totalling more than half a million dollars.

This is what was stated under oath this morning the commission Charbonneau, human affairs Elio Leslie, a close friend and confidant of Paolo Catania until 2008.

Mr. Pagliarulo said have tapped her personal funds, three sums of $100,000 each that he handed to Paolo Catania. The latter would then pay them to Frank Zampino. In addition, the witness argued that Mr Catania went to the residence of the former president of the Executive Committee to give him $5000 in cash to mark his birthday. Mr Zampino would have also benefited from the renovation of his kitchen (in 2005 or 2006) for a sum of $200,000, has revived Elio Leslie.

Last may, Frank Zampino was arrested and charged with fraud in the scandal of Contrecoeur. “For us, Mr Zampino, it is the ruling head of the scheme,” had then clarified the police officer Denis Morin squad hammer.

Before the commission Charbonneau, M. Pagliarulo explained that the Sicilian mafia in Montreal under the direction of the Rizzuto family, controlled the awarding of contracts in the construction including industry in Montréal. According to the witness, a “pizzo” of 5% was taken from the value of each contract. To make the system work, Frank Zampino would have been corrupted, told Mr. Pagliarulo by telling what he would have said Paolo Catania.

Paolo Catania company, Construction f. Catania, thus obtained 22% of all public contracts fixing, says Mr. Pagliarulo. The company Construction Garnier received 19% of the contracts while Catcan put the hand on 15%.

Mr Catania identified with the joke as being Mr Extra, thus marking its ease to charge additional fees for contracts (true or false extras).

Just as had testified it ex-entrepreneur Lino Zambito, entrepreneurs paid a sum of money to Nicolò Maung of Mivela construction. The latter acted as intermediary with the mafia. He handed the patronage to one of the partners of Rizzuto, Rocco Sollecito clan.

For fifteen years, Mr. Pagliarulo (at the time, owner of the Pagel pastries) and Paolo Catania were close friends, is alongside in business, but in their private lives. Mr Catania opened to him without restraint. They have even been partners in a loan-sharking business.

It is the two men as well as Frank Catania, Paolo’s father, have experienced a profound misunderstanding illegal context. Three borrowers have not repaid them by fleeing the country. For Catania, M. Pagliarulo had the responsibility to repay the debt. “Catania lose no money,” said Frank Catania.

Things are really complicated when Mr. Pagliarulo was unable to honour its debt. He declared bankruptcy (10 million). Threats are accentuated. In August, Mr. Pagliarulo is kidnapped and beaten. Funeral flowers are even delivered to his residence. It replicates by lodging a complaint to the police. The investigation will lead to the arrest of Paolo Catania. In 2010, the record falls.

This text has been updated.

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