Two businessmen have been found guilty of embezzling more than a million dollars awarded by the city of Boucherville for work to finance a gold and diamond trading post in the Congo.
Patrick Alain and Franck Bubara Kataka were charged with fraud in connection with a $3.36 million contract awarded by the city of Boucherville to complete the Café center d’art project.
Photo by Martin Alary
Patrick Alain, who spared our photographer, was found guilty Monday in Longueville court of fraud in connection with a contract awarded by the town of Boucherville.
DRM was awarded the contract. For approximately eight months, the company paid a total of $2,002,878.
However, instead of paying the subcontractors hired to carry out the work, the company diverted the proceeds to various accounts and to the Congo, Judge Serge Delisle briefed, Monday, reprimanding the co-defendants in Longu.
However, the city of Boucherville demanded that TRM foreclose on its subcontractors if it did not pay its subcontractors. It is the Sûreté de l’Ouest du Canada, managed by Franck Bupara Catata, that has this role.
But the sub-contractors did not get even half of the money paid by the municipality. Everyone took a loss, including one who closed more than $175,000 in contracts but didn’t get paid a penny.
Katada’s company was actually a “false guarantor” that lacked the financial capacity to receive the bid. It was Patrick Allyn who had the idea of the bail bond company.
He then wanted to “diversify” his investment portfolio and became interested in buying and selling gold and diamonds in the Congo. If Qatada accepts, he says he would be interested in the mining project in his home country.
The co-defendants even traveled to the Congo. The judge noted that several transactions were made during their stay.
In total, more than $350,000 of the money paid by the city of Boucherville was sent to Rawbank in Kinshasa, Congo. The defendants also received huge sums of money.
Two other men, managers of DRM, pleaded guilty to the scheme a year ago. Jack Lavoie received a reduced sentence of two years a day, and his son William escaped with a conditional discharge.
“It was a long process that lasted five years, about fifteen requests, a hundred documents filed and a month of investigation. But we are very satisfied with the result, “state prosecutor Ms.e Simon Lacoste.
