Former Laval Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt was arrested on Thursday in connection to a massive anti-corruption inv …According to CBC News, Vaillancourt was among 30 people picked up on allegations related to corruption and collusion – the focus of an ongoing Quebec corruption commission.
Vaillancourt said when he stepped down in November that he had been unfairly painted by corruption allegations and would be retiring from politics.
“We’re facing allegations that, even without proof, are altering the reputations of those in whom you have placed your trust,” he said in November, according to CBC News. "I am one of these people, and I have been deeply hurt. Regardless of what I do or say, it is clear that the damage has been done."
While accusations against him have not been tested in court, it appears at least that anti-corruption investigators believe that wounded pride is the least of Vaillancourt’s concerns.
CBC News reports that a key witness in the anti-corruption probe has alleged Vaillancourt took a 2.5 per cent kickback on all contracts released through the city's public works department.
The Montreal Gazette has a nifty timeline of Vaillancourt's fall from grace, which began last October when officers raided his home and city hall. It was later discovered that officers planted hidden microphones as part of their investigation.
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Vaillancourt stepped down in November, about the same time that former Montreal mayor Gérald Tremblay backed away from politics.
Tremblay’s replacement, Michael Applebaum, is publicly backing a 60-point plan to prevent collusion and corruption in awarding city contracts.
Meantime, in Laval, two senior bureaucrats who were close to Vaillancourt have been suspended and will appear as witnesses at the corruption commission next week.
This would be a long way to go to simply tarnish a retired politician's reputation. Thing are likely to get worse for Vaillancourt before he can return to his relaxing retirement from politics.
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