Frank Zampino among 8 arrested in alleged municipal contract scheme

Quebec's anti-corruption unit (UPAC) has arrestedFrank Zampino, the former second-in-command at Montreal City Hall, for his alleged role in amunicipal contract scheme.

Zampino was targeted Tuesday along with seven othersas part of an ongoing investigation titled Projet Fronde.

The new charges appear to be tied to the awarding of municipal contracts, the majority of them in engineering,awarded between 2001 and 2009with a total value of $160 million.

Bernard Trpanier, former chief fundraiser for Union Montral, the political party Zampino belonged to, was also arrested.

Heearned the nickname "Mr. Three per cent" at theCharbonneauCommission in reference to thethree-per-cent fee he allegedly charged companies he helped win construction contracts.

Others who were targeted by arrest warrants are:

• Robert Marcil,the former head of infrastructure for the city.
• Kazimierz Olechnowicz, former president and director-general of engineering firm CIMA+.
• Yves Thberge, a former engineer at CIMA+.
• BernardPoulin, president ofthe engineering firmSM.
• Dany Moreau, vice president of SM.
• Normand Brousseau, who was working at the time for engineering firm HBA Technika.

Poulinwas the last to be arrested Tuesday afternoon, after an arrest warrant remained in effect for him while the other seven men were taken into custody earlier in the day.

The eight menare facing some combination of fraud, abuse of confidence, conspiracy to commit fraud and municipal corruption charges.

The investigation, which began in 2014, is attempting to prove that a network of engineering firms,civil servants and one politician created a system whereby they shared contracts in exchange for political contributions, according to a news release.

They should be released today with a promise to appearNov.8, saidUPACspokespersonAnne-FrdrickLaurence.

Zampinois already on trial for fraud and conspiracy in connection with theFaubourgContrecoeurhousing development deal.

During CharbonneauCommission testimony, seven of the men, with the exception ofOlechnowicz, were alleged to have participated in a similar contract-sharing system.