MONTREAL - Businessman Tony Accurso once again gave as good as he got Thursday at the Charbonneau Commission, suggesting that he was targeted by the Parti Quebecois for being a big supporter of the rival Liberal Party.
In 2012, Accurso was informed that his companies would no longer be permitted to bid on any Hydro Quebec contracts, a decision Accurso described as “disgusting.” “It’s a situation that I couldn’t understand,” he said.
He said that he suspected that Premier Pauline Marois made the decision. “Maybe I didn’t get the PQ enough money,” he said.
The subject was brought up near the end of a long day of testimony and promised to spill over into Friday's discussions.
Just prior to the the end of the day's proceedings, Accurso was shown a 2001 photo of himself hugging former Premier Jean Charest.
He was asked about his relationship to the party which ruled Quebec from 1998 to 2012.
"It’s no secret that I’m a Liberal," Accurso said. "That photo was taken at my restaurant. I was asked to host a cocktail fundraiser. I didn’t organize it but I supplied the space." He said he had no idea how much money was raised.
Earlier, Accurso provided some names of those whom he invited onto his yacht, which has been seen as a tool for currying favour with people in power.
Rock legend Mick Jagger once rented the yacht but the controversial businessman told the commission that former Liberal MNA Tony Tomassi never set foot on his boat, nor did any other MNA or MP.
Joe Borsellino of Garnier Construction, one of Accurso’s competitors, has previously testified that Tomassi had visited the contractor’s famous yacht, the Touch.
“We saw it in conversations, he said that Tomassi was on my boat and that is absolutely false,” Accurso exclaimed Thursday without being asked the question by prosecutor Sonia Lebel.
Tomassi served as Minister of Families in the Charest government from 2008 to 2010. He resigned in 2012 after it was revealed that he had used the credit card of a private company while in power.
“It is clear that Joe Borsellino and I had clashing personalities. I do not like him and maybe he does not like me either. He spoke badly of me and I was talking bad about him,” summarized Accurso, formerly of Simard-Beaudry and Construction Louisbourg.
Accurso’s lawyer Louis Belleau also clarified that there is no registry of persons who have been on Accurso’s board. The commission specifically asked Accurso for a list, which he drew up from memory with available information.
The inquiry then lingered on the role of “advisor” that Accurso seems to have played with Guy Gionet, boss of SOLIM, then the real estate arm of the FTQ Solidarity Fund.
Wiretapping excerpts dating back to February 2009 and played Thursday featured Accurso giving his opinion on rival Borsellino to Gionet. Borsellino had asked for a meeting with Gionet, and Gionet called Accurso to inform him that his competitor had asked to make an appointment.
“I wouldn’t give him an appointment. You can’t trust him,” Accurso said.
Accurso spent much of the afternoon listening to his own voice on wiretaps. On one he was heard vigorously denouncing the fact that Chinese engineers had won a contract over Quebec bidders.
After the tape finished Accurso apologized to the commission for his language. "I thought I was having a private conversation," he said. He explained that such spicy manner of speaking is a standard means of communication in the construction industry.
The commission will reconvene Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. when Accurso will likely face more questions about his financial relations with political parties.
-With a file from The Canadian Press
