Jacques Corriveau, key figure in sponsorship scandal, finally gets his day in court

The trial for Jacques Corriveau, a major player in the sponsorship scandal, will begin onSept. 13,11 years after the Gomery report.

Corriveau, 83, was a former Liberal Party organizer. He was charged in 2013 with fraud, counterfeiting documents and laundering the proceeds of crime.

Proceedings against him were postponed several times since he was charged.

Corriveau is thought to be a close associate of former prime minister Jean Chrtien. According to police, he was at the heart of a kickback scheme in which he used his influence to give federal government contracts to communications firms in Quebec.

This arrangement allegedly gave him and others millions of dollars in benefits and advantages.

According to the RCMP, part of the money obtained in this scheme was steered into the coffers of the Liberal Party and another part into his own accounts.