19 counts against Moncton businessman Daniel Bard
Daniel Bard was vice- president at Corporation 3+, an economic development agency in Moncton, from 2016 to 2018.
In New Brunswick, former vice-president at Corporation 3+, Daniel Bard faces 19 counts of theft, possession of property obtained by crime, fraud, and laundering the proceeds of crime.
Daniel Bard was scheduled to appear in Moncton Provincial Court on Wednesday. A representative of his lawyer asked for an adjournment to have time to assess the file. The crown did not object.
Daniel Bard will return to court on September 23. He will be represented by attorney T.J. Burke.
We intend to defend him and have the Crown prove every essential element of the charges against him, says Mr. Burke.
Some plaintiffs were present in Moncton Provincial Court on Wednesday, including Clinton and Saly Davis.
Saly and Clinton Davis, Moncton entrepreneurs, claim to have lost several thousand dollars at the hands of Daniel Bard. They say they are disappointed to see that the case has been adjourned.
It does not surprise me that we asked for the delay, what surprises me is that he has received the delay, the delay was allowed. Really it's disgusting to me, says Saly Davis.
Last March, the RCMP confirmed that a 57-year-old man was arrested in Edmundston, without however revealing the identity of the individual, because no criminal charges had been brought against him.
However, people who filed complaints against Daniel Bard said that the RCMP had contacted them to tell them of the man's arrest.
Daniel Bard served as vice-president at Corporation 3+, an economic development agency in Moncton, from 2016 to 2018.
In 2019, several entrepreneurs accused him of having defrauded them by receiving tens of thousands of dollars in brokerage and administrative fees, without having kept his promises about the results they would obtain.
According to the plaintiffs, he offered to help small businesses obtain loans and investments through his own private company, named VM Venture Management.
Daniel Bard then disappeared for approximately three years.
The 3+ Corporation was cleared following an independent investigation into Daniel Bard's allegations of fraud. The investigation had concluded that no one at the corporation was aware of the actions that several contractors accused Mr. Bard of.
Daniel Bard was also the subject of several lawsuits at the civil and plaintiffs won their case against him. The most recent charges have not been proven in court.
With information from Frédéric Cammarano
