Enforcing a “blacklist” of companies banned from municipal contracts is not always easy for Montreal. According to a report from the Office of the Inspector General (BIG), a convicted felon who was excluded from tenders for five years was able to continue his operations in Hochelaga-Maisonnew.
Posted at 3:02 p.m.
Updated at 3:53 pm.
Louis-Victor Michon was pinned in 2016 for his conspiracy theories. According to an OIG report published at the time, he was recorded when he offered $ 100,000 to a competitor to give up participation in a tender for snow removal.
Mr. Mycon denied any conspiracy attempts and said he had repaid the amount of money he had received from his competitor years ago. His testimony was not considered very credible, so the contractor was banned from public contracts throughout Montreal and Quebec for five years.
But a new investigative report signed by Inspector General Brigitte Bishop and filed with City Council on Monday reveals that Mr has continued its operations since 2016 and continues to pay with public funds for almost the entire period of expulsion.
Empty shell
The contractor used a “blank shell” company called Excavation Bromont. On paper, the latter was led by a certain Daniel Girard, but Louis-Victor Mycon had “real” control “by nominee agreement”.
Also according to the BIG inquiry, Mr. Michen has benefited from the help of the KL Maineville Company, one of the most important players in Quebec in terms of bulk trucking. KL Maineville President Serge Maineville is close to Louis-Victor Michane, and in 2014 Mr. Michen received a $ 2 million loan from his father, according to the investigation report.
As soon as Louis-Victor Michon was found to be on Montreal’s blacklist, KL began submitting bids for snow removal contracts in Maineville Hochelaga-Maisonnew, which subcontracted to Excavation Bromont to use Mr. Mycon’s identity to hide his identity. Report Arguments.
OIG researchers have collected evidence that Mr Churge was actively involved in winning contracts in 2016, 2018 and 2021, including “self-driving trucks, overseeing trucks assigned to transport ice, and reconciling snow transport data.” ”.
The evidence is not credible
When questioned by investigators, Serge Mainville said he was unaware that Louis-Victor Michon, the son of a financial supporter, was secretly controlling the subcontractor who assigned him the job. Mr. Mycon, for his part, denied that there was significant involvement in the performance of the contracts and that excavation did not control Bromont. Both of their versions are not very reliable by the Inspector General.
Inspector Bishop KL therefore recommends that the two snow removal agreements awarded to Mainville be terminated and that the company and its chairman be disqualified from public contracts for five years in Montreal. It also recommends that Louis-Victor Mycon be disqualified from public contracts with the City for five additional years. In the case of excavation Bromont and nominee Daniel Girard, it was recommended that they be excluded from municipal contracts for four years.
Maja Vodanovic, head of consultation with the boroughs on the executive committee, said on Monday that the two agreements would be terminated but services would still be provided to the population. “Since this is June, we will have all the time needed to award new contracts to provide Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve qualified service,” she said.
In collaboration with Isabelle Ducas, Press
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