Mr. Lefrançois was found guilty of violating five provisions of the Code of Ethics of Engineers, in particular for participating in a contract sharing scheme that made it possible to circumvent the competitive bidding process of the City of Laval and for paying rebates directly or indirectly to a municipal political party in exchange for City contracts.
The alleged offences took place between 1996 and 2009, when Mr. Lefrançois was owner and president of Poly Excavation Inc.
Since Mr. Lefrançois is no longer an OIQ member, the sanction of striking him off the role will be enforced at the time of his reinstatement on the OIQ’s roll.
The full version of the Disciplinary Council’s decision, including the summary of charges, is available on the Web site of the Société québécoise d’information juridique (SOQUIJ). In its decision, the Disciplinary Council also ordered Mr. Lefrançois to pay the costs in connection with the proceedings.
As a reminder, the sanctions imposed by the Disciplinary Council are meant to protect the public by dissuading professionals from repeating offences and by setting an example for other members of the profession.