'Daniel Bard lied to us,' ex-employee testifies at fraud trial in Moncton

One of Daniel Bard's former employees described him as a psychopath and liar during testimony Thursday, saying he claimed to know the Pope, the Italian prime minister and was working to stabilize an Italian bank.

Donald Bastarache worked for Bard's Moncton firm, VM Venture Management, between 2017 and 2019. 

During his testimony on the third day of Bard's trial in Moncton provincial court, he was asked if he ever saw Bard secure outside investment for his projects. 

"None," Bastarache responded. 

Crown prosecutor Andrew Pollabauer asked how many success stories Bard had while Bastarache worked with him from a small office above a TD Bank branch on Main Street in Moncton.

"None," Bastarache replied.

Bard, 60, is on trial on 19 charges that include fraud, theft, money laundering and possession of property obtained by crime. 

Bard was vice-president of investment attraction for 3+ Corp., a municipally funded business development agency for the Moncton region, between 2016 and 2018.

Bastarache testified he had spent 25 years working in the banking sector before taking a job at 3+ in 2016, which is where he met Bard. Bastarache testified he went to work part-time for Bard's separate company in late 2017 doing financial analysis for companies Bard was working with.

Bastarache testified that one of Bard's projects at VM Ventures Management, along with Frédéric Gionet, was an Italian bank. Bastarache testified Bard told him the work was to get the bank back on its feet after it experienced financial trouble.

It was during this work, Bastarache said, Bard talked about knowing the Italian prime minister. Bard, sitting in the front row of the courtroom gallery, could be seen nodding. 

Bastarache testified Bard travelled to Italy a number of times as part of the bank project. He said Bard told him that things were going well with the bank.

"We didn't have any reason not to believe him," Bastarache testified.

He said that, to his knowledge, Bard never secured the financing required for the bank. He said he began to question things when he saw online that the bank had secured financing from another source. He said he emailed Bard and Gionet, but never heard back. 

When asked by the Crown how he felt about the bank getting funding from another source, he said "that Daniel Bard lied to us."

'I felt used'

Asked when he stopped working for Bard, Bastarache testified he left in August 2019 when news stories started about Bard. 

"I felt used. He lied to us. I can tell you it wasn't a good feeling."

Asked by the prosecutor how he'd describe Bard now, Bastarache paused. 

"A psychopath, a liar."

Judge Anne Richard later indicated the comment was likely inadmissible. 

The trial by judge alone is scheduled to last six weeks.