Faubourg Contrecoeur fraud trial: Accused plead not guilty

The eight men accused in connection with theFaubourg Contrecoeurland transaction, including the former chairmanof Montreal'sexecutive committee, have pleaded not guilty.

Frank Zampino, along withsevenother individualsand a construction company, are facing about a dozen charges, including fraud, conspiracy and breach of trustin connection with a 2007land deal in the city's east end.

All eight pleaded not guilty on Wednesday in Quebec Court.

The trial was scheduled to begin this week at the Montreal courthouse, butproceedings have beentaken up by pre-trial arguments.

Quebec Court Justice Yvan Poulin asked that all eight of the accused be present for the motions brought forward today.

Charges relate toland sale

The charges relate to events datingback to 2006 and stem from the Faubourg Contrecoeur construction project, a large residential housing development.

In 2007, Montreal's Housing and Development Corporation (SHDM) sold the land in the city's east end to Construction Frank Catania& Associates, Inc.for about $4 million.

Zampino,former mayorGraldTremblay'sright-hand man until his 2008 retirement from municipal politics,is alleged to have fixed the bidding process to favour the construction company.

Otheraccused include:

• Paolo Catania, one of the province's biggest real estate developers.

• Bernard Trpanier, a fundraiser for the political party of former mayor GraldTremblay.

• Daniel Gauthier.

• Martin D'Aoust.

• Andr Fortin.

• Pascal Patrice.

• Pasquale Fedele.

• Construction Frank Catania& Associates, Inc.

They were arrested in 2012.

The former president of the housing corporation (SHDM), Martial Fillion, was also accused. He died in February 2013.

Theaccused will be tried by a judge alone, and the trial isexpected to last about three months.