Former Chambly mayor arrested by UPAC on two charges

The logo for the Unité permanente anticorruption (UPAC) is seen during a press conference on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Denis Lavoie, former mayor of Chambly on the South Shore, was arrested Tuesday by Quebec's anti-corruption unit (UPAC) for obstruction of justice and breach of trust.

"Mr. Lavoie is accused of having voluntarily attempted to obstruct, divert or thwart the course of justice at the Municipal Court of Chambly, thereby committing an obstruction of justice and a breach of trust by interfering in the affairs of the Municipal Court of the City of Chambly," the Anti-Corruption Commissioner said in a statement.

Lavoie, who was previously an investigator with Quebec provincial police (SQ) and a lawyer, was released on a promise to appear at the Longueuil courthouse on May 10.

The facts he is charged with would have occurred between January 1, 2016, and May 7, 2019.

In 2018, the Radio-Canada program "Enquête" showed examples of interference by Mayor Lavoie in various files.

Around that time, the city had the Boileau bicentennial house demolished, which raised an outcry from many citizens.

The Quebec government placed the City of Chambly under trusteeship in 2019.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs, Andrée Laforest, had indicated that this decision followed audits by the Quebec Municipal Commission (CMQ) regarding the management of the city and allegations of ethical breaches.

At that time, UPAC conducted searches at City Hall and other municipal buildings.

Lavoie was first elected mayor of Chambly in 2005. Voters gave him a fourth consecutive term in the 2017 election. He announced his resignation in April 2019 for health reasons due to his throat cancer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 28, 2023.