Interim Mayor Michael Applebaum came into office vowing to clean up government. He resigned Tuesday, a day after his arrest on fraud charges. Applebaum denied the accusations and said he needs to focus on fighting them.
Montreal's first Anglophone mayor in a century took over in November, after Gerald Tremblay resigned amid corruption allegations. Applebaum now faces 14 charges, including defrauding the government and corruption in municipal affairs.
"I want to be clear that I have never taken a penny from anybody," Applebaum said at a news conference, where he didn't take questions. "I would like to tell Montrealers that I love them, that I understand their frustration, their deception and cynicism with the political climate of the last few years."
A high-profile public inquiry in Quebec province has uncovered links between the construction industry and organized crime.
