Tony Accurso heads to court to fight appearance before Charbonneau
CBC News | Posted: August 22, 2013 12:27 AM | Last Updated: August 22, 2013
Former construction magnate says testimony would incriminate him
Controversial construction magnate Tony Accurso is going to court to try to avoid being forced to appear before Quebec's commission of inquiry into construction corruption.
Accurso was arrested in April 2012 in a sweep by Quebec's anti-corruption unit (UPAC) and faces a string of charges, including fraud, conspiracy, influence-peddling, breach of trust and two counts of defrauding the government.
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He was arrested once again a year ago, this time for his alleged role in a $3-million tax-evasion scheme.
Accurso received a notice on July 18 to appear as a witness before the Charbonneau commission when hearings resume this fall.
No date has yet been set, however the document said he could be called to testify between Sept. 3 and Dec. 20.
He has a date in Quebec Superior Court on Sept. 6 to argue against his appearance, on the grounds that his testimony will incriminate him.
Revenue Quebec charges, too
Accurso is also facing more than 900 charges related to an investigation by Revenue Quebec. If convicted, he could face fines of more than $8.5 million in addition to prison time.
The former business mogul quit the construction business last October, apologizing for the turmoil swirling around his group of companies.
"My decision to resign is matched by a hope to see the companies continue to participate actively in construction in Quebec," he said.