MONTREAL - Contractor Tony Accurso had direct input to submit projects to the real estate arm of the Solidarity Fund, and the former president of the FTQ knew about it, according to the latest witness to testify at the Charbonneau Commission.
Guy Gionet, the ex-president of the FTQ Solidarity Fund’s former real estate arm SOLIM, went into the former contractor influence, whose name was associated with companies like Construction Louisbourg and Simard -Beaudry.
“Accurso has been partners with the Fund and SOLIM for a very, very, very long time. He didn’t have to go through anyone. He had direct entry, he could directly submit files,” Gionet recounted.
When prosecutor Simon Tremblay, asked him whether Michel Arsenault, FTQ president at the time, knew about this “privileged access” Accurso had to the SOLIM, Gionet did not hesitate.
"Yes, yes, yes, I understand that Mr. Arsenault and Mr. Accurso knew each other very well. They spoke often. (Arsenault) knew very well that we had projects together," he said.
In a prior interview, Arsenault has already denied that Accurso has had privileged access to the FTQ Solidarity Fund.
Gionet, once-president of SOLIM, confirmed he fast-tracked projects backed by mobsters and the Hells Angels, who needed to invest in legitimate businesses to launder money.
Gionet said he felt it was best not to go against the wishes of the board of directors, controlled by FTQ-Construction president Jean Lavallee
“Were you told, ‘Do as I say and everything else will come later,’” asked Charbonneau.
Gionet said yes.
In November, the commission heard how Gionet’s dodgy dealings created an image problem, which the FTQ tried to correct by, for example, purging suspected biker associate Denis Vincent's name from Solidarity Fund documents.
Vincent acted as an intermediary and submitted projects to SOLIM.
It was during wiretap evidence that revealed Vincent’s close relationship to SOLIM, which has since been renamed the FTQ Real estate fund, that Gionet’s name was first mentioned.
Wiretaps also show Gionet was eager to defend Accurso in 2009, even though he was warned the association could spell trouble for SOLIM.
“He was an important partner who generated exceptional returns,” said Gionet.
In 2009 alone, Accurso received 20 per cent of SOLIM's investments, but that same year, things began to unravel, with accusations Accurso was guilty of corruption and influence peddling.
With the scandal growing, Yvon Bolduc, president and director-general of the Solidarity Fund, forced Gionet to resign for suspected corruption in 2009.
He was making $240,000 a year, received a $1.3 million severance package when he was let go, but was kept on as an outside consultant despite the allegations against him.
