SOREL TRACY | The Sûreté du Québec and the Commission municipale du Québec have opened an investigation following the discovery of a recording device by a senior official of the City of Sorel-Tracy.
“The circumstances surrounding this event will be analyzed to determine whether or not there is a criminal offense,” said Audrey-Anne today.
Bilodeau, Sergeant of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
Last Tuesday evening, after the municipal council, the clerk of more than 20 years of experience René Chevalier would have been emotional when he revealed to the elected officials that he had found a hidden camera on a raised piece of furniture in his office, at the Sorel city hall. -Tracy.
Immediately, suspicions turned to the mayor Serge Péloquin, confided today to the Log a person well aware of the case, but who asked to conceal his identity.
Betrayed by wifi?
According to our information, the spy device did not have very advanced technology, being rather webcam style. It’s also the wifi signal leading to the mayor’s office that could have betrayed him.
In shock, councilors reportedly asked the mayor to step down as they discussed the situation on Tuesday evening.
Since then, the first citizen of Sorel-Tracy has suspended the clerk for a period of 30 days.
“That’s the way to do it,” explained Serge Péloquin, joined today by The newspaper.
Asked whether it was he who had hidden the microphone, the mayor indicated that he would not answer this question “immediately”.
The latter said he was aware that the suspicions were turned towards him.
He underlined in passing that the mayor could exercise “his right of supervision”, referring to article 52 of the Cities and Towns Act.
Mr. Péloquin also specified that an investigation report was to be tabled next Monday during a meeting with the councillors, after which he undertook “to give all the details”.
However, he has already hinted that the reason for this investigation was to report a “breach of the duty of loyalty to the employer”. Mr. Chevalier, the clerk, would however be “a victim” in this case, according to the anonymous testimonies collected.
Concerns
For the moment, an internal investigation is underway at the City, confirmed its spokesperson, Dominic Brassard.
The SQ and the Commission municipale du Québec are also trying to shed light on this story. These investigations may succeed in determining the entire period of time that Mr. Chevalier’s office was wiretapped.
This element raises all the more concerns within the city council, because in addition to being clerk, he also acted as president of the municipal elections, last fall.
♦ Today, René Chevalier politely declined our interview request.