2023-12-04 22:46:03
The dismissal of the former general director of the Société de transport du Saguenay (STS) is costly for Saguenay taxpayers.
Jean-Luc Roberge’s trial has not yet been completed, and these procedures have already resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.
So far, the bill is close to $315,000, according to information provided by the STS to TVA Nouvelles under the Access to Information Act.
The City notably paid more than $300,000 which was paid to the firm Trivium Avocats Notaires, which has an office in Saguenay, but whose lawyer on file, Me Felix-Antoine Michaud, practices law in Brossard, on the South Shore of Montreal.
Another Montreal firm, Sarrazin-Plourde lawyers, received $11,000 in fees.
The temporary total therefore reaches $314,427.
“We had considered settling amicably with Mr. Roberge, but he did not accept,” underlined municipal councilor Claude Bouchard, who acts as president of the STS.
“We had planned sums, but it is more important than expected,” conceded councilor Michel Potvin, who also sits on the board of directors of the STS. “But it’s still at an acceptable level…”
The procedures have been interrupted since last summer and will not resume until 2024. The bill therefore promises to be even heavier.
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“There was an incident on July 14 which derailed the trial, and it was not the fault of the City,” indicated Claude Bouchard, recalling that this episode is subject to a publication ban. .
The City explained that it turned to a private firm because the case would have been too heavy for its litigation department, whose four lawyers are never required for trials.
“This is not a simple file,” said Mr. Bouchard. “Now, it is Mr. Roberge who is contesting his dismissal and who initiated the lawsuit.”
The City had contacted Trivium during the suspension of Jean-Luc Roberge in February 2022. It chose to continue with it.
“We had planned an amount,” assured Michel Potvin.
Councilor Michel Tremblay, who served for a long time on the STS board of directors, believes that this sum of $300,000 could have been allocated elsewhere.
“Managing citizens’ money is okay, but as far as legal costs are concerned, I’m not sure…” he said.
Jean-Luc Roberge refused to comment on camera, but told us that this sum of $300,000 was equivalent to “the income from 100 tax bills that the city was depriving itself of.”
Claude Bouchard’s predecessor as president of the STS, Jean-Marc Crevier, who signed Mr. Roberge’s suspension letter, also preferred to refrain from commenting.
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