Ex-mayor of Laval and 33 co accused will face jury trial on corruption charges

Former Laval Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt (Photo from Wikipedia/Martin Barry)

LAVAL, Que. – The ex-mayor of Laval and 33 co-accused will have a jury trial.

Gilles Vaillancourt and the others were at the courthouse on Friday as a judge ordered them to stand trial.

The group faces charges of fraud, conspiracy and corruption relating to the awarding of municipal contracts.

Vaillancourt, former city manager Claude Deguise and ex-city engineer Claude Asselin also face gangsterism charges.

A trial is not expected before 2017 and perhaps even 2018.

The case returns before the Quebec Superior Court on Sept. 16, when lawyers will discuss logistics such as where the hold the jury trial to fit the accused, lawyers, media and the public.

Initially, 37 people were charged in May 2013, but three of the accused have since passed away.

Vaillancourt quit politics in November 2012 after an uncontested reign of 23 years as Laval mayor.