Supreme Court declines to hear Tony Accurso's appeal in Quebec corruption case

The Supreme Court of Canada has declined to hear contractor Tony Accurso’s ultimate appeal to avoid jail.

Accurso was a central figure in Quebec’s public inquiry into corruption in the construction industry a decade ago.

In May of last year, the former owner of Louisbourg Construction was sentenced to four years in prison.

Thursday's decision means that the 71-year-old entrepreneur must immediately turn himself in to start serving his prison term.  

He was tried and convicted in Laval in 2018 for fraud and corruption.

Accurso became a household name when he started popping up during allegations of kickbacks and corruption in the construction industry more than 12 years ago.

He was known to take politicians on luxurious cruises on his boat in the Caribbean.

There was a public inquest held by Justice France Charbonneau, where the extent of his political influence in the awarding of contracts was exposed; and during a separate investigation, Accurso was eventually charged with paying bribes to associates of former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt in exchange for lucrative construction contracts.

“My understanding of Mr. Accurso's role is that he was one of the most important figures at the time,” explained Michel Picard, a former RCMP analyst who wrote a book on the commission.

Accurso tried without success to get the verdict overturned by the Quebec court of appeal last year. He then tried to take his case to the Supreme Court, arguing he didn't get a fair trial.

The highest tribunal in the country declined to hear his case, however, without specifying why.

“When they refuse to hear his appeal, it doesn't necessarily mean they necessarily agree with the decision of a lower court. It can well be that they feel it may mean they may not have rendered the same decision,” explained criminal law expert Eric Sutton. “But it’s not enough a national interest question to warrant their intervention.”

This means the earlier judgment stands.