Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay is denying allegations that Union Montreal overspent its allowed budget during the 2001 electoral campaign, then sought to hide those expenditures by asking individual boroughs to file expense claims for services that were never rendered.
Tremblay confirmed that Quebec's Chief Electoral officer visited a number of borough offices this week in a search for receipts from the public relations firm Octane.
But he says the investigation will reveal his party did nothing wrong.
"I don't know what's behind this, but it's surprising that just prior to the start of the election another incident like that happens," said Tremblay.
"I will act on proof and I'm going to act on facts, and the facts that I have today from the people who have verified those allegations is that they are false," he added.
Tremblay also said he wants to appoint an ethics advisor for the city by the end of November.
"If Quebec doesn't put in place an ethics commission rapidly, then city council will name an ethics councillor," he said.
Opposition won't comment
Tremblay's main competitor, Vision Montreal's Louise Harel, said Friday that she will not discuss the investigation until it is complete.
But while unveiling her campaign theme -- "Restart Montreal" -- she promised that, if elected, she would get rid of alleged corruption at city hall.
"We have to restore pride to Montrealers," Harel said.
