Court hears about searches of homes, businesses in 2008-09
The Quebec Court judge hearing the trial of Antonio (Tony) Accurso and four others was shown evidence Monday of how the construction magnate allegedly transferred money from his companies to Swiss bank accounts in an effort to hide revenue.
A series of Canada Revenue Agency investigators testified at the Montreal courthouse about search warrants they carried out in 2008 and 2009 at the businesses and homes of some of the accused.
Accurso, 69, is alleged to have paid more than $700,000 in bribes to former CRA auditors Adriano Furgiuele, 52, and Antonio Girardi, 56, to help him in the alleged scheme.
A couple of the witnesses had difficulty recalling details about the assignments they carried out a dozen years ago. One investigator said he had no recollection of whether he attended a briefing before he searched the Laval home of businessman Francesco Bruno, 59.
Still, the witness referred to notes he took at the time detailing how he seized documents from Bruno's home — documents prosecutor François Blanchette said are evidence of loans to Accurso that were never actually made but in fact helped hide his money.
The trial is expected to end in June. Though seemingly complex, the Crown's case has been summarized by Quebec Court Judge Mélanie Hébert like this: “The (five) accused participated, in different ways, in a financial scheme with the goal of forwarding bribes to Mr. Girardi and Mr. Furgiuele, two CRA agents, so that they could offer protection or tax treatment in favour of companies owned by Mr. Accurso.”
The Crown alleges Accurso transferred money from three of his companies — Simard Beaudry, Hyprescon and Louisbourg — to three other firms. Two of those — 3703436 Canada Inc. and Entretien Torelli — were incorporated in Canada and controlled by Bruno. The third — Beaudoin et Frères — was incorporated in the Bahamas and controlled by Bruno, Girardi and Furgiuele.
It's alleged Accurso's money was then transferred to two more companies, one also in the Bahamas (controlled by Bruno, Girardi and Furgiuele) and the other in Panama (controlled by Bruno).
The last step in the alleged scheme involved transferring Accurso's money to three Swiss bank accounts controlled by Bruno, Furgiuele and Girardi.
The Crown alleges that when the numbered company owned by Bruno was audited, all five accused — including Montreal accountant Francesco Fiorino, 61 — participated in different ways to camouflage the scheme.
Micheline Boisclair, a now-retired CRA investigator, testified she took part in the search of one of Accurso's companies in April 2009, where she seized a cheque, dated Jan. 8, 2008, for $327,606.25 made out by Simard Beaudry to Entretien Torelli. The Crown contends such payments were the first step toward hiding Accurso's money in Swiss bank accounts.
The trial is to resume Tuesday.