Fallen businessman Tony Accurso was forced to live in a halfway house for four months after he said he was extorted, so he could return to the comforts of his own home.
• Read more: Four years in prison: Tony Accurso has already been released after eight months in custody
• Read more: Tony Accurso says he’s a victim of extortion in a halfway house
The 72-year-old is serving a four-year jail term in the biggest corruption case he has ever been involved in.
He was released last February but had to return to Shadow for breaching one of his conditions, which was to have no contact with convicted criminals.
However, at the time, his cousin and former right-hand man, Giuseppe Molluso, was living on his land. The latter and Tony Accurso were arrested in 2013 as part of a massive raid by the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC) that uncovered a vast collusion system established by former mayor of Laval Gilles Vaillancourt. Between 1996 and 2010.
After a few weeks in prison, Antonio Accurso was sent to a halfway house. He stayed there for four months and claims he was a victim of extortion by other residents.
“I manage it myself”
“I never lodged any complaint with the management; I manage these extortion efforts myself,” he said during a hearing before the Parole Board of Canada (CLCC) earlier this week.
The Correctional Service of Canada recommended that Accurso remain in a halfway house until the end of his sentence, scheduled for November.
But the BBC instead agreed to send him to serve out the rest of his time “elsewhere”.
The man actually described his health problems, which landed him in the hospital this summer.
“When you look at declining health, it calls a lot of things into question,” he said during the hearing.
His release plan is secret, so it is not known whether he will return to his home or to a loved one.
Multiple attacks
The man and his entourage have indeed been the target of several violent attacks in recent years.
First, his house and his son’s house in Deux-Montagnes were riddled with bullets.
Later, commercial buildings owned by his daughter and her partner were also targeted in fire attacks.
His home was also shot at last April, less than a month after he was released from custody.
– with Michael Nguyen
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