The City of Terrebonne has just awarded a contract worth more than $700,000 to the company of a businessman who has already admitted under oath to having paid bribes to the administration of the former mayor Jean-Marc Robitaille.
On Monday evening, the City Council awarded a $721,000 contract to Tessier Récréo-Parc, owned by Richard Tessier.
The contract covers the installation of equipment, including picnic tables, benches and garbage cans, in some twenty parks in Terrebonne.
Richard Tessier was one of the key witnesses announced at the trial for corruption and breach of trust of the former mayor of Terrebonne, Jean-Marc Robitaille, his former chief of staff, Daniel Bélec, the former director general of the Ville, Luc Papillon, and entrepreneur Normand Trudel.
He ultimately never testified, as Judge Nancy McKenna ordered a stay of proceedings in October 2021.
She believed that information that could harm Tessier’s credibility had been hidden by the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) and the public prosecutor.
In a sworn statement made to UPAC police officers, Richard Tessier claimed in particular to have given more than $174,000 in cash to Daniel Bélec between 2000 and 2011 in connection with contracts.
Subterfuge would have been used to increase prices and recover the value of sums given to Bélec, according to him.
“When the sums to be remitted have become too large, it [Richard Tessier] hired contractors to misinvoice,” one document read.
Two former employees of the company also came to affirm under oath at trial that Tessier had inflated his prices in Terrebonne.
Archival photo
We can see in this photo the former mayor Jean-Marc Robitaille on the yacht of entrepreneur Tony Accurso.
“We were going there “full profits”. […] It was the jackpot, honestly, said one of the employees, Michelle Dupuis. […] The City of Terrebonne is special. »
As he was sure to win the bet, Tessier did not hesitate to boost the prices and to include expenses having nothing to do with the proposed work.
“I remember the opening of the new theater in Terrebonne. Richard had bought a table and it was expensive, and we put that too in the [coût d’un] game module”, illustrated Ms. Dupuis.
Profit margins were juicy, between 28 and 32%, according to the witness.
Called to react, the City of Terrebonne denied having anything to reproach itself for.
“The City must comply with the terms set out in the public tender documents. The City awards the contract to the lowest conforming bidder. No report or attestation produced under the Act allows us to exclude this supplier during public calls for tenders or to declare its bid non-compliant”, indicated Nadine Lussier, Director of Communications at Terrebonne.
Richard Tessier did not call back our Bureau of Investigation.
A person at Tessier Récréo-Parc told us that he was retired, but his name still appears in the Quebec Business Register as a director and shareholder of the firm.
Another over-the-counter contract
In March, Terrebonne awarded Tessier Récréo-Parc another contract worth $67,000without call for tenders, for the supply and installation of protective ramps to secure skate parks.
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Reference-www.tvanouvelles.ca