The lawyer for former Cote-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grace city councillor Saulie Zajdel said he’s confident that his client can beat the charges against him.

Zadjel was arrested Monday and faces five charges from acts allegedly committed during his days as a municipal councillor.

The charges include breach of trust, fraud and corruption linked to alleged activities that took place between Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2008.

Zadjel, who refused to speak with CTV but referred his lawyer Jeffrey Boro, is alleged to have accepted cash to influence his vote, but Boro maintains it didn't happen that way.

“He's very upset, he's disturbed, he's unhappy,” said Boro.

The charges relate to a piece of land at 3300 Troie Ave. at the foot of Mount Royal, soon become The Onyx, an upscale condo project. The building was once a rundown apartment building full of mould.

Back then, the building was owned by Robert Stein, who planned to demolish the building and build student housing.

Local groups opposed his project.

“We wanted low-rental housing instead of a residence for students. That's it, nothing more,” said housing activist Claude Dagneau, head of L'Organisation d'éducation et d'information logement, or OEIL.

In spite of their opposition, in 2006, Stein received his demolition permit, much to Dagneau’s dismay.

“Now I'm beginning to think that maybe money was exchanged to get the approval,” he said.

At the time, Zajdel was a city councillor. It's alleged Stein bought Zajdel's support.

Stein would not provide a dollar figure, nor would he talk to the specific allegations, but stated the following Wednesday:

“I don't think people go to the lengths of arresting people without at least a suspicion or belief that they did something wrong,” he said.

Zajdel's lawyer Boro asks that the public not be so quick to judge.

“I could tell you unequivocally from what I know of the proof, the allegation of the Crown, there was not a bribe in this matter,” he said.

Boro wants to know why, if Zajdel is being accused of accepting a bribe, was Stein not accused of offering one.

“Stein's not charged, that's exactly it. One can presume that he was informed and given some type of immunity,” said Boro, adding that Zajdel was always in favour of the student housing project and his vote didn't need to be bought.

“When the evidence comes out -- and I don't want to comment any further -- you're going to find the fact pattern extremely strange,” he said.

Boro said he believes the charges could be thrown out of court and at the very least, even if found guilty, he doubts Zajdel would spend one day in jail.