Trial of former Moncton business executive accused of financial crimes begins

Katelin Belliveau · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 22, 2025 5:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

The trial of a erstwhile Moncton-area economical improvement executive on galore charges related to fiscal transgression began Tuesday.

Daniel Bard, 60, faces 19 charges, including possession of spot obtained by crime, fraud, theft and wealth laundering successful a lawsuit that's been going connected for years.

Some of the allegations day to erstwhile Bard was vice-president of concern attraction for 3+ Corporation, a municipally funded concern improvement bureau for the Moncton region, betwixt 2016 and 2018.

In 2019, CBC reported Bard was accused by respective concern owners and individuals of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars successful administrative and brokerage fees portion moving for the agency, but failing to present connected promises and past vanishing.

Bard was arrested successful northwest New Brunswick successful 2022 arsenic portion of an probe into what RCMP described arsenic "financial irregularities amounting to much than a cardinal dollars."

Eric Mourant, who was president and CEO of 3+ erstwhile Bard worked there, was the Crown's archetypal witness.

Mourant said though Bard seemed to person respective projects connected the spell astatine once, it wasn't ever clear whether he was making progress.

When helium pressed him for updates, Mourant testified that Bard told him helium had signed non-disclosure agreements with prospective clients that prevented him from divulging immoderate accusation astir them.

"He shared precise small accusation with maine connected each cases," Mourant said, adding that Bard would besides get irritated and endanger to discontinue erstwhile pressed for details. 

"I felt uncomfortable astir the full situation."

Mourant said Bard didn't adjacent immoderate deals during the astir 18 months he was employed astatine the agency. He said Bard would repeatedly accidental deals were imminent, but they ne'er came through.

When asked by defence lawyer James Matheson whether it's communal for deals successful the concern tract to instrumentality agelong periods of time, Mourant said it tin instrumentality much than a twelvemonth successful immoderate cases and that the ratio of occurrence is "about 5 per cent."

No recognition check, references

When asked astir Bard's hiring process, Mourant said the institution didn't get bash a recognition cheque oregon cheque Bard's references earlier helium was hired.

He testified that Bard asked the hiring squad that they not cheque his recognition due to the fact that helium had spent a sizeable magnitude of wealth helping his parents, who had fallen ill.

Mourant said helium thought that was tenable astatine the time.

When it came to providing references, Bard cited confidentiality concerns for his web of clients from his ain restructuring and financing company, VM Venture Management, Mourant said.

When Matheson said the quality of the tract demands a definite level of discretion for businesses reasoning of relocating, Mourant agreed that was accurate.

Frederic Gionet, a erstwhile 3+ Corporation employee, besides testified Tuesday.

Gionet said Bard told him helium had worked with companies specified as Ferrari, Hyundai and Caterpillar.

He said helium couldn't corroborate whether Bard's claims were exaggerated.

Then, successful 2019, erstwhile helium heard that Bard had been served with a civilian lawsuit, helium said helium chopped nonrecreational ties with him.

Brittni Bremner also testified and outlined her clip arsenic an worker astatine VM Venture Management. She said she didn't witness Bard adjacent immoderate deals oregon present results to clients. She near the institution successful 2019 due to the fact that she didn't person capable enactment to do, she said.

The proceedings successful beforehand of provincial tribunal Judge Anne Richard is acceptable to tally for six weeks.