Lawyer Must Testify About Relationship With Prosecutor
A defence attorney involved in a major cannabis trafficking case in Montreal has been ordered to provide sworn testimony about his intimate relationship with the lead prosecutor handling the same investigation. Quebec Superior Court Justice Gregory Moore ruled on Friday that Mathieu Rondeau-Poissant must appear in court to testify both in principal and undergo cross-examination later this month.
Conflict of Interest Concerns Threaten Case
The situation came to light earlier this year when Rondeau-Poissant asked to be removed from representing David Keith Bishop, one of ten men arrested in the Sûreté du Québec investigation known as Operation Postcure. The lawyer admitted to his client that he had engaged in intimate relations with prosecutor Alice Bourbonnais-Rougeau while the case was actively proceeding through the courts.
Bourbonnais-Rougeau initially denied the relationship went beyond friendship but eventually confessed to her superiors in June. The revelation has prompted one of the other defendants, Bruno Desmarais, 62, of Montreal, to file a motion seeking a stay of proceedings on the charges he faces.
Potential Consequences for Multiple Defendants
Desmarais argues the relationship represents a serious conflict of interest and wants to determine whether any defence strategy information was shared between the two lawyers. The outcome of his motion could have far-reaching implications for all ten people charged in the Postcure investigation, as any decision in Desmarais's case might apply to the other defendants.
The investigation that led to the arrests began in 2021 and culminated on December 19, 2023, when the Sûreté du Québec arrested ten individuals allegedly involved in an online cannabis sales network. Authorities seized substantial assets during the investigation, including over $7 million in alleged criminal proceeds, more than $500,000 in cash, and approximately 3,000 cannabis plants.
While Rondeau-Poissant requested to submit an affidavit instead of testifying in person, Justice Moore rejected this option. The lawyer is expected to be the final witness called by the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions to address the matter. Meanwhile, Bourbonnais-Rougeau appears unlikely to testify, as her lawyer has indicated she is currently on sick leave during previous court proceedings.
