Developer Joseph Citino spent a second day on the witness stand in the corruption trial of Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez, this time facing tough questioning from the defense.
Before the trial, Citino reached a deal with prosecutors to get immunity in exchange for his testimony. Defense attorney Hubert Santos asked Citino if he refused to talk to investigators prior to getting the deal and also asked why he needed it if he did nothing wrong.
"I'm not concerned about immunity," said Citino. "I'm not charged with anything. I was never concerned about being charged with anything. I committed no crime. I was the victim here."
Prosecutors say Perez demanded Citino "take care" of parking lot operator Abraham Giles or his proposed development deal to tear down a Main Street eyesore and build condos would not go forward.
Citino needed to buy a lot run by Giles to make the project happen, according to his earlier testimony. The mayor needed political support from Giles, according to prosecutors. Citino and Giles agreed to a $100,000 payoff. The deal fell through after a newspaper reporter found out about it.
At one point, the exchange between Citino and Santos became heated when Santos implied it was Citino who was taking advantage of the mayor and not the other way around.
Santos asked about the email Citino sent to Perez detailing the planned $100,000 payoff to Giles, suggesting it was Citino's way of getting additional concessions from the city on the deal.
"I had known that there was quite a few deals that he had done with Abe Giles that were considered inappropriate, but it had nothing to do with my March 5 email to him," said Citino.
"The reason you put information about Giles in the March 5 email was to compromise the mayor?" asked Santos.
"How about if we read that for the jury and let them decide the language I used, whether or not that's what my intention was because that's just a total mis-characterization," replied Citino.
When Judge Julia Dewey intervened and asked if Citino wanted to compromise the mayor, Citino said, "I had about $300,000 invested in this deal. The last thing I wanted to do was compromise a man that was working with me towards getting to the end."
Santos continued questioning Citino about the planned payoff to Giles.
"Did Mayor Perez tell you to give $100,000 to Abe Giles?" asked Santos.
"No, he didn't," replied Citino.
"Did he tell you to give $25,000 to Abe Giles?" asked Santos.
"No," replied Citino.
"Did he tell you to give one dollar to Abe Giles?" asked Santos.
"No," replied Citino.
Investigators began looking into this case, in part, due to a request from the mayor who accused Citino of committing fraud. That request was made to the Chief State's Attorney's office after the newspaper reporter raised questions about the deal.
"I actually thought that was an underhanded, spineless move because why would anyone try to have me investigated for something that was a perfectly legitimate deal unless he (the mayor) knew that it wasn't legitimate and he got his hand caught in the cookie jar?" said Citino. "He was trying to take the shine off himself and the spotlight to throw me under the bus."
Citino is one of the prosecution's key witnesses in the larceny by extortion part of their case against the mayor. Perez also faces charges for receiving a bribe related to renovations he received from a city contractor.
