Witnesses testified for the second time in a Moncton financial crimes case that has been delayed in court for several years, sharing their experiences working with the accused fraudster, Daniel Bard. Bard faces 19 charges, including fraud, theft, and money laundering, in his second trial initiated in 2022. The first trial, which commenced last April, ended in a mistrial after Bard’s former lawyer withdrew due to health reasons.
During the ongoing trial, witnesses detailed Bard’s involvement at the 3+ Corporation, an economic development agency in Greater Moncton where he was employed in 2016, with some charges stemming from his tenure there. Allegations from business owners in the initial trial accused Bard of accepting payments for services never rendered before disappearing.
Crown prosecutors, Christopher Ryan and Andrew Pollabauer, chose not to present opening statements at the retrial, opting instead to recall former associates of Bard to provide testimony. Notably, Eric Mourant, the former CEO of the economic development agency, now acknowledges believing that Bard engaged in fraudulent activities, although he initially trusted Bard when hiring him.
Mourant expressed his confidence in Bard’s abilities despite not conducting background checks, emphasizing his aim to attract international businesses to boost the local economy. The defense lawyer, Nelson Peters, probed Mourant during cross-examination about the challenges of attracting significant investments to Moncton, suggesting that such endeavors could take considerable time.
Frederic Gionet, a former colleague of Bard at 3+, described Bard as affable but elusive in delivering progress updates on investment opportunities. Gionet mentioned Bard’s claims of past work with prominent companies like Ferrari, Caterpillar, and Hyundai, which remain unsubstantiated.
Another witness, Luc Bernard, a business owner from Charlo, testified that Bard failed to repay him as promised after receiving a substantial sum of money for a proposed investment project involving a Spanish company. Bernard expressed doubts about Bard’s credibility when communication dwindled and discovered Bard’s accounts were empty when investigated.
The Crown intends to further interrogate Bernard in the upcoming trial sessions, with the retrial anticipated to continue through February.