Ex-Terrebonne mayor, former top city officials arrested by UPAC

Terrebonne's long-serving former mayor Jean-MarcRobitailleis among five people arrestedthis morning as part of an investigation intopublic contract fraudin the municipality just north of Montreal.

The accused were chargedwithcorruptionand breach of trust in connectionwith an alleged system of contract fixing thatfavoured certain engineering firms and entrepreneurs between 2001 and 2012.

Also arrested were:

• LucPapillon, former city manager.
• DanielBlec, former chief of staff.
• Normand Trudel, entrepreneur.
• JeanLeroux, engineer.

Four of the accused were arrested Thursday morning and transferred to SretduQubecheadquarters. They are expected to be released later today and scheduled to appear in court on the charges in May.

An arrest warrant was issued for Robitaille, but he was located Thursday morning at his chalet inSaint-Jean-de-Matha, about 80 kilometres north of Terrebonne.

The municipality's current mayor,Marc-Andr Plante, said his administration is working with UPACinvestigators and is satisfied with the outcome of the investigation so far.

"The people want answers and to see thosewho were the focus of this investigationheld to account if they are found guilty," he said.

Plante, a former director of a not-for-profit organization, was elected last November. He said hisadministration has taken significant steps to ensure a culture of integrity and transparency exists at city hall.

"The city is now in good hands," he said.

InvestigatorsraidedTerrebonneCity Hall and the former mayor's personal residencein 2016.Robitailleresigned for health reasons shortly after.

In September 2017, UPAC frozemore than $93,000 of Robitaille's assets linked to work done at his second home.

A former federal politician,Robitaillewas first elected mayor ofTerrebonnein 1997 and served for nearly 20 years.

UPACsays its investigation, dubbedMdiator, has shownthat somecity employees received significant personal benefits in exchange for makingzoning changes or other divulging privilegedinformation in the context of the city's tendering process.