Zampino, allegedly the mastermind, stands accused by the Crown.
In the final stages of the trial, the Crown has presented compelling evidence against Frank Zampino, former mayor of Montreal and chairman of the executive committee, who is implicated in corruption and collusion scandals related to construction contracts in Montreal during the 2000s.
At the heart of the Crown's evidence are incriminating faxes uncovered during investigations into the “Collusion Scandal” — a widespread scheme among construction firms, union representatives, and municipal officials to rig bids and fix prices on public contracts.
### The Incriminating Faxes
The faxes show communications directly between Zampino and key players in the collusion network, including construction company executives and union officials. These messages discussed coordination of tender processes, ensuring certain companies won contracts, and circumventing competitive bidding laws. Some faxes included explicit instructions or confirmation of agreed-upon “division” of contracts and fixed prices.
The timing of the faxes corresponded with crucial bidding periods for major municipal projects, and patterns in the communication suggested coordinated efforts to avoid transparency and maintain the collusion system. The faxes implicated Zampino as an active participant rather than a passive observer, showing negotiations and approvals aligning with the cartel’s interests. They documented Zampino’s efforts to facilitate or cover up irregularities in contract awarding processes.
### Zampino's Role and Involvement
The fax evidence was supported by testimony from witnesses including businesspeople and union representatives. Financial records, other correspondence, and surveillance further anchored the context of the faxes. Frank Zampino, former number two of the City of Montreal, served as the driving force and ultimate authority behind a contract-sharing scheme in the metropolis in the 2000s.
### Corroboration with Other Evidence
Co-accused Robert Marcil was mandated to influence selection committees, while Michel Lalonde and Bernard Trépanier, who were part of Zampino's inner circle, regularly communicated during selection committee meetings. The Crown's thesis accuses Zampino of being the big boss of this collusion system that allowed 13 engineering consulting firms to share public contracts worth $160 million in the 2000s.
### The Impact of the Scandal
Large sums from these contracts were allegedly distributed as secret political funding to the party of Mayor Gérald Tremblay. The trial, which has been ongoing for several years, is set to conclude this week, with the Crown concluding its arguments on Thursday afternoon.
Zampino is accused of corruption, fraud, conspiracy, and breach of trust. His lawyer has argued during the trial that the system of collusion unfolded without his client's knowledge. However, the overwhelming evidence presented against Zampino, including copies of rigged contracts sent to him directly, paints a different picture. The faxes, sent by Bernard Trépanier, director of financing for the Union Montreal party, prove Frank Zampino's guilt, according to the Crown.
The incriminating faxes, sent between Zampino and key players, provide evidence of his active participation in the collusion network, suggesting a connection between politics and crime in the general-news sphere. The faxes, which implicate him as the driving force behind a corruption scheme, will likely influence the outcome of the justice system's verdict on Frank Zampino's charges of corruption and breach of trust.
