Former Montreal mayor Gérald Tremblay, 74, will be the next witness to testify at the Contrecoeur fraud trial Monday.
The scandal centres on an alleged fraud scheme involving the Faubourg Contrecoeur housing development project.
READ MORE: Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay resigns amid corruption scandal
The property was sold in 2007 from the city to the Catania construction company for $4.4 million, even though it was valued at $31 million.
Investigators suspected city officials were sharing secret information with companies bidding for the public contract, and those involved were given money and gifts.
READ MORE: Contrecoeur corruption trial begins in Montreal
Among the accused are former Montreal city councillor Frank Zampino, big-time real estate developer Paolo Catania and Bernard Trépanier, the former fundraising director for Union Montreal, Tremblay‘s former political party.
Also named were Martin D’Aoust, Pascal Patrice, André Fortin, Daniel Gauthier, Pasquale Fedele and Construction Frank Catania & Associates Inc.
The charges include fraud, conspiracy and breach of trust.
READ MORE: Ex-Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay kicks off eyebrow-raising appearance at corruption probe
Tremblay served as mayor from 2002 until his resignation in 2012.
When he quit, the then-70-year-old insisted he was unaware of corruption in his administration and only learned about it after the fact, saying he felt betrayed by the people who had abused his trust.
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