MONTREAL – The battle of wits between Charbonneau Commission chief counsel Sonia LeBel and former executive committee head Frank Zampino resumed on Thursday morning, with LeBel attempting to corner the witness with wiretaps, phone records and the guest registry at an upscale Montreal club.
As his second day on the stand before the inquiry began, Zampino once again tried to wrest control of the interrogation from LeBel, providing long-winded answers and referencing his own analysis of the evidence.
The veteran Crown prosecutor pushed back hard.
“I’m not asking you for your analysis, Mr. Zampino,” LeBel said curtly. “I’m asking you to answer my questions.”
Among other things, LeBel wanted to know what really led to the dismissal of former Union Montreal financing chief Bernard Trépanier in 2006. Zampino maintained that Trépanier’s position was simply eliminated, and his departure had nothing to do with the fact that he was perceived to be too close to Zampino.
“Mr. Trépanier didn’t come to see me to complain he was fired,” Zampino testified. “He was not in distress. I was not in charge of (Union Montreal). That’s my answer.”
Zampino added that during his time as executive committee chair, he was a very busy man, and he had nothing to do with fundraising efforts within the municipal party.
LeBel then confronted him with a recording of a phone conversation between a man named Louis-Pierre Lafortune and another, unidentified person. During the call, recorded by police in 2009 as part of a criminal investigation, Lafortune is heard saying he must purchase tickets to an upcoming Union Montreal fundraiser because “it’s Frank Zampino. We have no choice.” Lafortune then suggests that local construction firm Garnier will cover the cost.
Zampino didn’t flinch.
“I don’t know Mr. Lafortune. I was no longer at (the city of Montreal in 2009), and I wasn’t involved in financing.”
Then, seeming to fall back on his old political playbook, he added: “I won’t comment on hearsay.”
Zampino was similarly confident when LeBel presented him with a list of guests at two breakfast meetings held at Montreal’s swanky 357C club in early 2007. Both events were hosted by then-Liberal minister Line Beauchamp, and Zampino was on the guest list for both – as were engineering executives and Trépanier.
Zampino acknowledged being at the first meeting, saying he simply showed up to discuss “city matters” with Beauchamp. It was not a fundraiser, he added, and he didn’t pay a dime for the breakfast. As for the second meeting, Zampino told Justice France Charbonneau he was “100 per cent certain” that he did not attend.
Asked if he was aware of any system of contract-sharing in Montreal during his tenure, Zampino replied simply: “No.” Asked if he knew that the cost of public works contracts in Montreal was up to 30 per cent higher in Montreal than in other cities, he briefly attempted to avoid providing a straight answer.
“I got decision-making summaries … ” Zampino began, but he was swiftly interrupted by Charbonneau.
“You’re not answering the question,” she snapped.
“I don’t understand the question,” the witness replied.
Zampino’s testimony is expected to continue throughout the day Thursday.
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