MONTREAL—A former union boss’ bid to quash fraud charges against him has failed, and a change of lawyer will force further delays to a criminal trial that has already dragged for years.
Judge Denis Lavergne dismissed Jocelyn Dupuis’ argument that the fraud case against him should be thrown out because of a three-year delay since his arrest.
The case took another strange twist following Lavergne's verdict as Dupuis’ lawyer, Robert La Haye, removed himself from the case. That will cause further delays.
Dupuis, who is alleged to have revelled in a lavish lifestyle that included spending an average of $5,000 a week in restaurant and bar tabs, had argued his constitutional rights to a fair trial had been violated because of the wait. Dupuis, who is the former head of the construction wing of the FTQ union, is alleged to have run up $125,000 in expenses.
Lavergne recognized that the case had dragged but that was no reason to throw it out.
Lavergne further added that if Dupuis suffers from bad reputation, it's not just the fault of the lengthy delays.
He said, for example, that Dupuis made headlines because of his dealings with members of organized crime, such as mobster Raynald Desjardins and Normand Ouimet of the Hells Angels.
La Haye stepped aside, stating he and Dupuis did not share ground on how to proceed with his defence. Jean-Daniel Debkoski, who will replace La Haye, motioned for a stay so he could catch up on the case.
"It’s nothing personal," La Haye said on Wednesday. "It’s all to do with the administration of the case... We have different perceptions of the administration of the file."
