Nathalie Normandeau's lawyer questions Crown's evidence

Nathalie Normandeau'slawyeris questioning why it took investigators so long to decide to press charges against the former deputy premier.

Maxime Roy said the both the length of the investigation and the timing of the arrest on the same day as a provincial budgetraise questions about the quality of the Crown's evidence.

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"It took four years to investigate," Roy told Radio-Canada Friday morning. "The evidence against her can't be as solid as they say."

The head of the provincial anti-corruption unit, Robert Lafrenire, told Radio-Canada earlier on Friday that the Crown would not have moved forward with the charges unless they were confident about their evidence.

He said it wasn't unusual for cases involving financial crimes to take a long time.

Normandeauwas arrested Thursday and charged withcorruption, breach of trust and conspiracy. Also arrested were her former chief of staff, Bruno Lortie, two former Parti Qubcois staffers and several figures associated with engineering firm Roche (now known as Norda Stelo).

Roy characterized the charges against his client as an allegationthat she abused her political power to steer contracts towards Roche, which he said "never happened."

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Police investigators arrived with arrest warrants at Normandeau's home in Quebec City early Thursday morning. She left police headquarters by a side door and hasn't been seen publicly since.

'Shocked, surprised and sad'

Roy described Normandeau as being "shocked, surprised and sad" when police showed up at her door. She grewmore combative later in the day, he said, after receiving messages of support from friends and former constituents.

"We had no indication that there was an investigation ongoing," Roysaid.

He said Normandeau had approached the anti-corruption unit, UPAC, prior to the CharbonneauCommission, but UPACdeclined to meet with her .

In preparing her testimony before the commission, Roy said he reviewed several years of decisions taken by Normandeauas a cabinet minister in the governmentof Jean Charest.

"Her answers convinced me she did nothing wrong criminally."

Normandeauis next scheduled to make a court appearance on April 20.