The jury trial of five co-defendants accused of conspiring with disgraced financier Vincent Lacroix began Tuesday at the Montreal courthouse.
The first matter the judge addressed to the jury Tuesday was that just because Lacroix has already pleaded guilty for fraud in the infamous Norbourg affair, it did not mean that the five co-defendants were guilty as well.
The judge informed the 12 members of the jury that they needed to hear the proof against the five alleged accomplices of Lacroix.
They are:
- Serge Beugre: Norbourg's vice-president, who is accused of fabricating the paper trail needed to hide illegal money transfers from clients' accounts.
- Felicien Souka: Norbourg's computer specialist, accused of creating false computer data to cover up the fraud.
- Jean Cholette: Norbourg's financial controller accused of fabricating fake invoices to justify major money transfers.
- Jean Renaud: A consultant accused of fabricating false financial information.
- Remi Deschambault: An independent financial controller, accused of intentionally overlooking obvious irregularities at Norbourg.
The Crown prosecutor said Tuesday that it was his belief that the five men fabricated false documents that allowed Lacroix to siphon off nearly $100 million from close to 9,200 investors.
This was a second trial for the five men, with the first ending in a hung jury in January after an exhaustive four-month trial despite 12 days of deliberations.
The jurors in that trial indicated the evidence was too complex.
The second trial includes 100 fewer charges, dropping the number to 615, in an effort by the Crown to simplify the case for the jury.
Though Lacroix was sentenced to 13 years in prison in October 2009, the judge in the new trial has instructed the jury to not allow that verdict to influence their decision.
"Lacroix's guilty plea last year has nothing to do with our case," said Souka's lawyer outside the courtroom.
This trial is expected to last four months.
With files from CTV Montreal
