Grald Tremblay knew about illegal financing scheme, UPAC court documents allege

The awarding of a $355-million water meter contract isn't the only reason Quebec's anti-corruption unit recently raided the home and cottage of former Montreal mayor Grald Tremblay, documents obtained by Radio-Canada show.

• Grald Tremblay's home and cottage searched by UPAC
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UPAC had "reasonable and probable grounds to believe that Tremblay knew" about the illegal financing scheme of his party Union Montral, according to a search warrant issued for his Outremont home.

The search warrant is based on the testimony of 11 people met by investigators between 2011 and July 21, 2015, a week before UPAC conducted the raids at Tremblay's properties.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

The search was conducted as part of an investigation called Project FRONDE, which looked into the financing of Union Montral by Quebec engineering and construction firms through a false-billing scheme.

According to documents filed in order to obtain the search warrant, Tremblay was spotted at the infamous
357c private club in Old Montreal, along with his former chief party fundraiser Bernard Trepanier, the former head of the city's executive committee, Frank Zampino and construction boss Paolo Catania.

Testimony outlined in the search warrant also raises questions about how Tremblay was able to obtain financing to keep the International Swimming Federation World Championships in the city in 2005.

The investigation isongoing and no charges have been laid.