Bureaucrat who allegedly took cut on contracts to testify at corruption inquiry

MONTREAL – A retired city engineer who allegedly skimmed one per cent off the top of rigged contracts will be the next witness at Quebec’s corruption inquiry.

Gilles Surprenant is scheduled to begin testifying today, although it is not clear when legal wranglings over a publication ban on earlier evidence will wrap up.

Surprenant will take the stand after eight days of headline-grabbing testimony by ex-construction boss Lino Zambito.

Zambito alleged that Surprenant, a chief city planner for many years who prepared plans and budgets for public works projects, skimmed one per cent for himself on rigged contracts.

Zambito testified that Surprenant claimed a so-called “TPS” — the name being a tongue-in-cheek twist on the French-language acronym for the federal sales tax, the GST. Zambito said “TPS” stood for ‘Taxe Pour Surprenant’ (Tax for Surprenant).

None of Zambito’s allegations have been proven in court.