Dino Bucci accused of soliciting bribes in Macomb County corruption case
(WJBK) - A former high ranking official in the Macomb County public works office was recently deposed and most interesting are the questions he refused to answer under oath.
Dino Bucci, also a Macomb Township trustee, is being sued for allegedly trying to extort a local contractor. Macomb County businessmen say Bucci hit them up for thousands of dollars in bribes.
They sued Bucci and Macomb Township last year, but finally got Bucci to sit down for an interview under oath last month.
Dino Bucci is no longer a county employee, but he is still an elected trustee in Macomb Township. Local businessmen say in a lawsuit that Bucci used that position to stick them up for cash.
Bucci says that's baloney and he says he has nothing to do with Rizzo environmental services, the garbage hauler at the center of the federal investigation into public corruption in Macomb County.
But Bucci refused to answer under oath whether he has been contacted by the feds and one of Bucci's attorneys advised him not to say whether his home was raided or whether the FBI has told him he could face criminal charges.
Bucci did insist on saying under oath that he has never received cash or anything of value in return for his vote on Macomb Township contracts.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Rizzo executive resigns as FBI continues probe
- Former Rizzo employee indicted by FBI
- Rizzo sanitation competitor not surprised at FBI corruption probe
- New Haven official to plead guilty for taking FBI agent bribe
- FBI: Clinton Twp. trustee took up to $70,000 in bribes
And in an interesting turn, Bucci accused one of the businessmen who are suing him of offering him a $40,000 bribe.
His attorneys say not to read anything into Bucci's refusal to answer questions whether he is the target of a federal investigation. They say they advised Bucci not to answer those questions because they were not relevant to the lawsuit - therefore he shouldn't have to answer them.