Quebec police mount corruption raids

Quebec provincial police andfederal Competition Bureau investigatorsexecuted the first search warrants Tuesday ina widespread probeinto allegations of collusion and corruption in the construction industry.

Investigators visited city hall in Boisbriand, north of Montreal. They also executed warrants at the local public works office and the Boisbriand offices of Construction Infrabec, Inc.

Last month, the Quebec government announced the creation of Operation Marteau, French for Operation Hammer, a special police squad to investigate the allegations.

The move came following a series of investigative reports by the Radio-Canada program Enqute including one looking at Infrabec's ownerLino Zambito.

The report alleged that Zambito colluded with Boisbriand Mayor Sylvie Saint-Jean to discourage her potential rivals from running in the city's Nov. 1 municipal election.

The program obtained a recording of Zambito trying to persuade opposition councillors Patrick Thiffaut and Marlene Cordato to drop out of the race.

Shortly after Cordato refused, two men visited her home and assaulted her husband.

'We can see that police are doing their work'

Zambito, whose company has received more than half of the municipal contracts in Boisbriand in the past five years, admitted to Radio-Canada that he tried to convince the councillors to drop out.

He said wanted to save taxpayers the cost of an election.

Saint-Jean denied there had been any favouritism in the awarding of city contracts.

Police wouldnt say whether the warrants are tied to the election.

Cordato, who has since been elected mayor of Boisbriand, confirmed investigators spoke with the citys director and seized some documents.

"We can see that police are doing their work," said Cordato, who said she had no information about the ongoing investigation.

Cordato said city officials plan to delay the only call for tenders currently underway in the city.

She said her administration is changing the way things are run in Boisbriand.

"When we will talk about the city, people will be proud of their city and the way it is run," Cordato said.