Montreal mayor fuming over media report on corruption probe

Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay lashed out at La Presse newspaper Tuesday after the French-language daily published a report linking two city councillors to corruption in the construction industry.

La Presse reported provincial police are investigating allegations of extortion and Mafia meddling in a $10.6-million contract to fix the roof at Montreal’s city hall.

At a press conference Tuesday morning, Tremblay called the article irresponsible. "They're [undermining] the credibility of my administration … it's all insinuations, allegations, never proving anything."

Lawyers for two councillors sent a letter to the publisher of La Presse late Tuesday afternoon.

In it, the councillors deny any involvement in the alleged incidents and demand the newspaper publish their letter in full. The councillors also say they are willing to meet with investigators at any time.

The article quoted contractor and business owner Paul Sauvé, who said a Mafia member told him he would have to pay two people in the municipal government $40,000 to keep working on the roof at city hall. Sauvé told La Presse he did not make the payment.

No names given

La Presse didn’t name the people, but it stated Quebec provincial police have opened an investigation.

The mayor responded he was the one who contacted police about possible corruption when it was brought to his attention in mid-March. "There’s a problem in Montreal, there’s a problem in Quebec … there’s corruption in the construction industry. It is a fact," said Tremblay.

The mayor said the report only hurts his council and the investigation. When La Presse reporter Michel Ouimet tried to ask him a question, the mayor refused to take it and quickly moved on to the next reporter.

André Noël, one of the La Presse journalists who wrote the article, says a police investigation is news. "I will not hide this news for other purposes. My job is to find news and publish the news, and I do not have any agenda."

Noël added it was deplorable that the mayor refused to answer his colleague's question.

After the mayor’s press conference, Quebec Premier Jean Charest confirmed his government would not intervene. He said the situation is under investigation by provincial police and it's important to preserve the integrity of the probe.

Charest also said the municipal affairs minister was in talks with municipal officials to create a new code of ethics for politicians.