More than a dozen people arrested in connection with the same police operation that brought down former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt are trying to have their charges thrown out, citing delays in the justice system.
14 of the 33 charged are seeking a stay in proceedings
Vaillancourt was arrested in spring 2013 as part of a sweep by the province’s anti-corruption unit, known as UPAC. He pleaded guilty to several charges earlier this month. Along with the mayor, 33 others were charged for allegedly taking part in a system of corruption in the awarding of public contracts by the City of Laval between 1996 and 2010. According to Radio-Canada, at least 14 of the 33 are seeking a stay in proceedings, invoking a recent Supreme Court ruling that limits the amount of time the accused can can wait to stand trial.
Read more at CBC News.
