MONTREAL – A former Montreal official implicated in a corruption scandal has publicly acknowledged taking bribes.
   
Retired City of Montreal engineer Gilles Surprenant told an inquiry that he collected kickbacks in cash worth more than 600-thousand dollars from construction companies over 20 years.
   
He took the stand at the inquiry yesterday, after eight days of explosive testimony by former construction boss Lino Zambito.
   
Zambito alleged that Surprenant, a chief city planner for many years, skimmed one per cent for himself on certain contracts.
   
Investigators have identified at least 90 contracts where Surprenant got a cut over the years.
   
He will return to the stand next week.