December 10, 2013 - 8:19 AM
LONDON, Ont. - The mayor of London, Ont., will be going to trial on fraud charges this spring.
A date of May 26 has been set for the trial of Joe Fontana, who is accused of using taxpayers' money to help pay for his son's wedding reception in June 2005.
He was charged by the RCMP last year with fraud under $5,000, uttering a forged document and breach of trust by a public official.
Fontana was a Liberal MP at the time of the alleged fraud, which police have valued at $1,700.
A judge from outside London will oversee the trial, which is expected to last three or four days.
Fontana has denied any wrongdoing and refused to step down as mayor while the charges are before the courts and his lawyer has said he will plead not guilty to all three charges.
Late last month, Fontana confirmed he would rather have a trial by judge than by jury.
Both Fontana and his lawyer, Gord Cudmore, have said they are confident about the chances of a full acquittal.
(BlackburnNews.com, The Canadian Press)
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013