MONTREAL — An ex-aide to Michael Applebaum says he wore a wire in an attempt to help police extract a confession in 2013 from the then-interim Montreal mayor.
But Applebaum offered little in conversations with Hugo Tremblay that were played at Applebaum’s fraud trial in Montreal today.
Two of the exchanges took place in person and the third was over the telephone.
Applebaum has pleaded not guilty to all 14 corruption-related charges, including fraud against the government and breach of trust. They stem from crimes alleged to have occurred during his time as the mayor of Montreal’s largest borough.
Prosecutor Nathalie Kleber has said she hopes to prove the longtime politician accepted cash in exchange for favours given to local real-estate developers.
Applebaum was guarded during each conversation _ denying knowledge of anything and often reassuring Tremblay that police were on a witch hunt.
Applebaum, 53, served as interim Montreal mayor between November 2012 and June 2013 following Gerald Tremblay’s sudden departure.
