Radwanski fraud trial winds down with testimony of priest

The witness, a Roman Catholic priest, described Lamarche as an exemplary community leader who 20 years ago demonstrated he knew how to "use the rules" to help build a new parish in an Ottawa suburb.

Lamarche, who surprised court observers by not testifying in his own defence, faces the same fraud and breach of trust charges as Radwanski because of his role in a contested $15,000 travel advance and a loan he made out to Radwanski to help him through a crisis involving the advance.

Lamarche, as well as Radwanski, authorized the travel advance even though the pair knew it was going to be used to pay off Radwanski's American Express government travel card. Radwanski has testified a veteran director in the office told him the transaction was acceptable.

A year later, Lamarche loaned Radwanski $15,000 so he could pay off the still-outstanding advance before the end of the 2002 fiscal year. Radwanski took another $15,000 advance within days in the new fiscal year to repay Lamarche.

The advance remained outstanding until it was deducted from Radwanski's severance pay after he resigned in a storm of controversy over his hospitality expenses and travel a few months later.

Roman Catholic priest Peter Schonenbach testified Wednesday that Lamarche was a widely respected member of his community in Kanata, Ont., when Schonenbach arrived in the Ottawa suburb to establish a parish in the 1980s.

Schonenbach told Justice Paul Belanger that Lamarche was at the centre of the drive to build the parish in the city over four years and, because of his popularity and respect in the community, Schonenbach eventually appointed him treasurer of the parish council.

He said Lamarche was also elected as a school board trustee and eventually elected by the board to become its chair.

The priest used a French term to describe Lamarche as a person who "doesn't sit on the rules."

"He's a man who finds ways to use the rules so they're at the best advantage," he said.

To illustrate Lamarche's talents in that regard, Schonenbach described how Lamarche helped the parish avoid city taxes on its lot, which was subject to a municipal property levy.

Lamarche unearthed a city bylaw that stated a "place of worship" was not subject to taxes and came up with the idea of deeming the entire lot a place of worship, Schonenbach testified.

By holding an open-air service once a year, the parish was "free of taxes" on its lot, he said.

The defence and Crown lawyers will wrap up their arguments Thursday.