A Laval administrator is delivering firsthand testimony about how corruption worked in that city, and said it was all done with the knowledge of mayor Gilles Vaillancourt.

Jean Roberge, the deputy general manager for the city of Laval since 2007, began his testimony with what he did while he worked for the engineering consultation firm Equation.

He said that Equation repeatedly colluded with other engineering firms in Laval, including CIMA+, MLC, Courtemanche, Genivar, and others -- apparently with not just the knowledge, but under the orders of city administrators.

Roberge also admitted bribing former deputy general manager Claude Deguise with gift cards worth $3 to $4,000.

When Deguise left city hall, Roberge was growing tired of working for Equation, and he was personally offered Deguise's position.

Roberge said his job was to keep price fixing and collusion in place so other administrators, including the mayor, could personally profit.

On occasion some contractors would approach Roberge and say it was their turn to win a contract.

"We are talking about important work. On a few occassions the representative, a representative of a firm would come and see me and say 'the project is mine,'" said Roberge.

"I would say 'on what grounds are you basing that?' He would say 'we confirmed it with the boss.'"

"I said 'who is the boss?'"

"He said 'it's the mayor.'"

 

Bribery tapered off after 2009

Over the past 13 years Roberge worked on both sides of the fence, first bribing officials and then accepting bribes.

However in 2009, when media and police pressure on corruption grew, Roberge realized that the corrupt system had to be cleaned up or it would be exposed.

He said he spent the subsequent years eliminating the bribery system and making sure everything was done by the book.

Roberge said he made sure the mayor knew that the days of kickbacks were over -- with the two of them taking a long walk around Carrefour Laval while Roberge explained why Laval now had to operate under legitimate measures.

But the end of colulsion had a spectacular effect: prices for roadwork dropped in half and the quality of the work improved.

"For about half the cost, we got improved technical specifications," said Roberge.

Meanwhile Justice France Charbonneau warned the witness at the corruption inquiry not to stray into federal territory.

When commissioners asked if Roberge had ever bribed officials outside Laval, the head of the inquiry, Justice Charbonneau, warned Roberge not to discuss corruption at a federal level.