Bruce McConville: stuns court by saying he burnt over a million dollars
A former candidate for Ottawa mayoral election, Bruce McConville has stunned a judge that he burned $1 million dollars(Over N360million) to keep it away from his former wife.
McConville, a businessman appeared in court last week before Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips following a contempt motion. The judge sensing he was probably playing games, sentenced him to jail over the contempt.
According to an Ottawa Citizen report of McConville’s court appearance, the businessman told the judge that he had taken out 25 withdrawals from six different bank accounts for a total of $1,050,000. Although he said he had the receipts to prove it, he no longer has the money.
When the judge pushed McConville for more information about where the money is located, the Citizen reports that McConville answered simply: “I burnt it.”
He told the judge the money was burnt in two different bonfires, one for $743,000 on September 23, and $296,000 on December 15.
The judge told McConville that it was hard to believe he had burned all that money, especially since there is no proof or a witness.
“How does destroying over a million dollars advance your child’s best interest?” McConville told him that he was frustrated with his divorce case, which is why he burned it.
The judge ruled that McConville was deliberately trying to avoid the payments and stated he didn’t believe the story, saying: “You are making a mockery of this court, and its process, something I will not allow.”
The judge gave McConville a 30-day sentence in jail, and he also faces “severe financial penalties” for each day he ignores court requests to provide his financial details. The judge also ordered McConville to pay $2,000 each day to his ex-wife, regardless of any decisions on child and spousal support.
The businessman has ignored many court orders to reveal his finances. According to the Ottawa Citizen, McConville ignored requests from the court to file affidavits about his finances and has not paid any child or spousal support.
The court alleges that he sold his businesses and properties despite an order not to and even sold some of those assets to his former accountant. The court also requested that McConville pay $300,000 to the court as a security, which he failed to do. All of these attempts by McConville to hide his financial affairs from the court led to the contempt motion and his appearance in court last week.
Reported by Ottawa Citizen and Heavy.com
