MONTREAL — A preliminary hearing is underway for several people accused in connection with an alleged bribery scandal related to a super hospital project in Montreal.
Authorities say the awarding of the contract for the $1.3 billion McGill University hospital project was the subject of an alleged fraud of $22.5 million.
They say that former SNC-Lavalin executives funnelled money to ex-McGill hospital officials in exchange for the lucrative contract.
One of the eight accused opted to go straight to trial today and another, former McGill hospital boss Arthur Porter, remains in a Panamanian jail awaiting extradition.
The Crown says it will present 16 witnesses over the next three weeks and a judge will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to send the rest of the accused to trial.
The evidence presented is subject to a publication ban.
