The file of Ian Lacharité, the former mayor of Wickham who resigned and filed a complaint with the police for threats and intimidation last March, has been transferred to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP).
Mr. Lacharité, who had been elected mayor of Wickham in 2021, left office after suffering a barrage of hostile comments, in person and on social networks. It is an “altercation” involving “a citizen with [sa] joint “which made the vase overflow, he had explained to The Press.
The file was sent to the DPCP, confirmed Monday the spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) for Centre-du-Québec, Hélène Saint-Pierre.
“We cannot provide further details on this at this time,” said DPCP spokeswoman Ms.e Patricia Johnson, recalling that information about a file becomes public only when a criminal charge is filed.
The former mayor of Wickham has become, in the eyes of the municipal world, a symbol of the intimidation which pushes many elected officials towards the exit. The Mayor of Drummondville and Prefect of the MRC of Drummond, Stéphanie Lacoste, had organized a press briefing to denounce the situation. The Quebec Federation of Municipalities (FQM) and the Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ) also expressed their support.
The resignation of Mr. Lacharité did not calm the situation in his village of 2,700 inhabitants. The first deputy mayor who succeeded him, Charles-Antoine Fauteux, bowed out after less than a month. A departure caused by a “minority of citizens who engage in intimidation and harassment of elected officials,” said Mr. Fauteux on his Facebook page.
A second deputy mayor took over until the by-election on June 18.
It was an agreement aimed at integrating the local fire safety service with that of Drummondville that ignited the fire. This agreement aims to meet the increased requirements of Quebec. Adopted unanimously by the municipal council, it aroused strong criticism within the population.