'Daniel Bard lied to us,' ex-employee testifies at fraud trial in Moncton

Shane Magee · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 12:54 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

One of Daniel Bard's erstwhile employees described him arsenic a psychopath and liar during grounds Thursday, saying he claimed to cognize the Pope, the Italian premier curate and was moving to stabilize an Italian bank.

Donald Bastarache worked for Bard's Moncton firm, VM Venture Management, betwixt 2017 and 2019. 

During his grounds connected the 3rd time of Bard's proceedings successful Moncton provincial court, helium was asked if helium ever saw Bard unafraid extracurricular concern for his projects. 

"None," Bastarache responded. 

Crown prosecutor Andrew Pollabauer asked however galore occurrence stories Bard had while Bastarache worked with him from a small office supra a TD Bank branch on Main Street successful Moncton.

"None," Bastarache replied.

Bard, 60, is connected proceedings connected 19 charges that see fraud, theft, wealth laundering and possession of spot obtained by crime. 

Bard was vice-president of concern attraction for 3+ Corp., a municipally funded concern improvement bureau for the Moncton region, betwixt 2016 and 2018.

Bastarache testified helium had spent 25 years moving successful the banking assemblage earlier taking a occupation astatine 3+ successful 2016, which is wherever helium met Bard. Bastarache testified helium went to enactment part-time for Bard's abstracted institution successful precocious 2017 doing fiscal investigation for companies Bard was moving with.

Bastarache testified that 1 of Bard's projects astatine VM Ventures Management, on with Frédéric Gionet, was an Italian bank. Bastarache testified Bard told him the enactment was to get the slope backmost connected its feet aft it experienced fiscal trouble.

It was during this work, Bastarache said, Bard talked astir knowing the Italian premier minister. Bard, sitting successful the beforehand enactment of the courtroom gallery, could beryllium seen nodding. 

Bastarache testified Bard travelled to Italy a fig of times arsenic portion of the slope project. He said Bard told him that things were going good with the bank.

"We didn't person immoderate crushed not to judge him," Bastarache testified.

He said that, to his knowledge, Bard ne'er secured the financing required for the bank. He said helium began to question things erstwhile helium saw online that the slope had secured financing from different source. He said helium emailed Bard and Gionet, but ne'er heard back. 

When asked by the Crown however helium felt astir the slope getting backing from different source, helium said "that Daniel Bard lied to us."

'I felt used'

Asked erstwhile helium stopped moving for Bard, Bastarache testified helium near successful August 2019 erstwhile quality stories started astir Bard. 

"I felt used. He lied to us. I tin archer you it wasn't a bully feeling."

Asked by the authoritative however he'd picture Bard now, Bastarache paused. 

"A psychopath, a liar."

Judge Anne Richard aboriginal indicated the remark was apt inadmissible. 

The proceedings by justice unsocial is scheduled to past six weeks.