Gérald Tremblay ends his testimony | The ex-mayor affirms that his party has never benefited from occult funding

The former mayor of Montreal Gérald Tremblay persists and signs: there has never been an occult funding in his political party. “We were almost confused to win, we didn’t need money!” “, He repeated on Wednesday, at the end of an eventful testimony to the trial of his ex-right bras Frank Zampino.

Tirades, boastful and embodiment of the 82 -year -old politician put to the test of the patience of judge Silvie Kovacevich on Wednesday at the Montreal courthouse. “You are not here to sell your political career,” said the judge. “I am here to tell the truth,” replied the ex-mayor.

At his second day at the helm, Gérald Tremblay was brought back to the judge by the judge. He was sometimes unable to remain silent, even when no one asked him questions. “This is not one of my qualities, patience,” he said.

When he was ordered not to talk about his testimony to journalists, the ex-mayor promised the judge, in joke, to be “silent as a carp”. “When will it start?” “Exasperated the judge exclaimed.

The co -accused, Frank Zampino, was president of the Executive Committee of the City of Montreal in the 2000s, during the reign of Gérald Tremblay. He is accused of having been the conductor of a vast system of collusion, corruption and occult political funding which has gangrenous the metropolis for years.

According to the Crown, this “system” has enabled 13 advisory engineers to share 34 public contracts worth $ 160 million. A 3 % contribution on all rigged contracts was required for the occult political funding of the party of the mayor Tremblay, Union Montréal.

However, Gérald Tremblay has never been made aware of such embezzlement, he swore on Tuesday. “No one came to say to me:” We want such a contract, can you help us? ” It never happened […] I always ask myself the question: how is it that they did not come to see me to say to me: “Someone requests me 3 %”? “, He testified.

“If people are collusion, then corruption, do you think they will come and say it?” It is done behind the closed doors! “, He launched to journalists, in a press scrum.

The ex-mayor of Montreal assures that his political party did not need money, quite the contrary. In 2005, he was guaranteed to be re -elected and the chests of his party were full, according to him. “We didn’t need that!” He exclaimed.

After his testimony, Gérald Tremblay even rejected the “obscure, occult and illegal” financing thesis of Union Montréal. “By dint of saying something, people will believe it. There are people who believe that, but it is false, “he said to journalists.

A document sent to Sonia LeBel ?

On Tuesday, Gérald Tremblay mentioned several times in court the existence of an “famous” eight -page document demonstrating that he had alerted the authorities of certain embezzlement. In a press scrum, he said he had given him to the police during his mandate by suggesting that they had done nothing.

Questioned by journalists, the ex-mayor gave some details on Wednesday. This eight-page document was actually laid by Pierre Reid, then controller general of the city, and was given to him when he was no longer mayor of Montreal, he said. The document focused on “water meters, computer frauds and Robert Marcil,” he said.

Gérald Tremblay claims to have given this document to the Prosecutor Sonia Lebel (now president of the Treasury Board), when he testified before the Charbonneau Commission. But we did not find any traces of this document in the Archives of the Commission.

At the helm of the witnesses, Gérald Tremblay defended his political record and nail, boasting of having “saved” the Formula 1 Grand Prix twice, as well as the swimming championship of the finish in 2005. “It was a big, great, great success,” he insisted.

In addition, being mayor of Montreal was “the challenge of a life” for Gérald Tremblay.

When The press asked him what the population should remember from his political career, Gérald Tremblay remained silent a dozen seconds.

“Is it really very important?” I go everywhere. I meet everyone. They are happy to see me. They say to me: “Mr. Mayor, Gérald, why don’t you represent yourself? We get bored.” I no longer need a form of recognition. I have it every day, ”he replied.

He claims to have never thought of standing at the town hall after his resignation.

The trial continues for a few more weeks. The other accused are Robert Marcil, Kazimierz Olechnowicz, Bernard Poulin and Normand Brousseau.