The two men allegedly hired by real estate developer Jean-François Malo in the attack on a young lawyer have been cleared of attempted murder. However, they are found guilty of firing a firearm aimed at Nicholas Daudelin at his residence in Mont-Saint-Hilaire in March 2020.
Posted at 2:29pm
Mayssa Ferah La Press
Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane Ndiaye and Daouda Dieng, 42 and 36 respectively, were also found not guilty on charges of intimidation and obstruction of justice, Judge Stéphane Godri ruled Thursday at the Longueuil courthouse.
There are doubts about the intention to die, said judge Godri. “Four shots fired can only establish that the defendant knew the victim’s life was in danger”
According to him, the two people actually turned up at Me Daudelin, 34, who was shot dead at his home in March 2020.
Videotapes produced by the Crown in court also show that a meeting between Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane Ndiaye and Joliette’s property developer Jean-François Malo took place five days before the attack.
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Daouda Dieng
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Sheikh Ahmed Tidiane Ndiaye
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The latter is suspected of ordering the attack and is charged in a separate file with attempted murder. His trial will continue in 2023.
In his testimony on February 28, Mr Daudelin of LCM Avocats stated that he first met Jean-François Malo in connection with a local dispute with the Caisse populaire de Joliette. The file was “hot” and the director of the fund “beat up,” he recalled.
Then, in 2019, he brought a series of civil lawsuits on behalf of the Fédération des caisses Desjardins du Québec relating to allegations of fraud by Mr. Malo’s group of companies.