The Supreme Court of Canada has refused to hear the appeal of Frank Zampino. The former president of the executive committee of the City of Montreal was challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal, which last October ordered his trial for fraud and corruption in a case involving the awarding of municipal contracts.
Frank Zampino was arrested in September 2017 by the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) as part of the operation called Fronde. Accused of fraud and breach of trust, the former right-hand man of Mayor Gérald Tremblay was to stand trial for his alleged role in a scheme to award municipal contracts in exchange for political financing. During the investigation, the police intercepted telephone conversations that Frank Zampino had with his lawyer.
In September 2019, however, Judge Joëlle Roy of the Court of Quebec ruled that Frank Zampino’s constitutional rights had been violated during the police investigation due to the electronic surveillance and she ordered a stay of proceedings.
The Court of Appeal disagreed. In October 2023, three judges found that Justice Roy had erred when she stayed the charges against Frank Zampino. In its decision, the Court of Appeal found that the wiretaps violated Mr. Zampino’s rights, but that the violations were not serious enough to warrant a stay of proceedings. It ruled, however, that evidence gathered through the wiretaps could not be used at trial.
Further details will follow.
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