MONTREAL - An unlikely name has surfaced at Quebec's corruption probe: that of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.
While denying Thursday that any members of the Quebec legislature had ever boarded his luxury yacht, former construction magnate Tony Accurso revealed that the rubber-hipped Glimmer Twin did visit "The Touch."
Accurso didn't say when Jagger made the visit, nor was he asked by members of the Charbonneau Commission to elaborate.
However, he was questioned on whether any elected officials had ever been aboard the vessel.
"No, there were no provincial ministers, no federal ministers, no MPs and no members of the Quebec national assembly," Accurso told the commission.
In particular, he denied the presence of former cabinet minister Tony Tomassi. In June, the former Liberal family minister pleaded guilty to a fraud-related charge involving illegal use of a credit card and was sentenced to community service.
One of Accurso's competitors, Joe Borsellino, testified previously that Tomassi had been on the yacht.
"It's absolutely false," Accurso said under questioning at the inquiry.
His lawyer, Louis Belleau, told the inquiry there was no registry of the people who had spent any time on the yacht.
Accurso began testifying Tuesday after commission chair France Charbonneau rejected his bid for a publication ban.
Once the owner of several influential construction companies, Accurso had argued that testifying at the commission would jeopardize his right to a fair trial in pending criminal proceedings.
Accurso faces criminal charges in several municipal corruption cases and is also charged with tax fraud.
