Montreal

UPAC raids engineering firm as part of ongoing water-meter investigation

Quebec’s anti-corruption investigators are raiding a Montreal-area consulting engineering firm as part of its ongoing investigation into a $355-million cancelled water-meter contract.

Anti-corruption investigators raided home of Lachine Mayor Claude Dauphin on Wednesday

UPAC, Quebec's anti-corruption squad, has been investigating a cancelled 2007 water-meter contract. (Radio-Canada)

Quebec's anti-corruption investigators are raiding a Montreal-area consulting engineering firm.

UPAC hasn't identified the firm.

This is the latest in a series of raids as investigators continue to look into a $355-million water-meter contract cancelled in 2009.

On Wednesday, UPAC raided the home of the mayor of Lachine, Claude Dauphin, as well as three former municipal politicians: Francine Senecal, Sammy Forcillo and Cosmo Maciocia.

Lachine's municipal office was also targeted in those searches.

Today's raids mark the sixth time in several weeks that anti-corruption officers have conducted searches in connection to the water meter scandal.

Last week, UPAC raided the engineering firm Dessau's building in downtown Montreal. 

In 2009, former Montreal mayor Gérald Tremblay announced the multi-million dollar contract awarded to the private consortium GÉNIeau would be cancelled after a review found irregularities with the tendering process.

At the time, it was the biggest contract ever awarded by the city.