A Moncton judge denied Daniel Bard’s request to have a second government-funded lawyer added to his financial crimes case.

Judge Anne Richard said in provincial court Friday that Bard does not meet the threshold for a second Rowbotham counsel. Doing so, she said, would open the door to delays in a case that’s been before the courts for three years.

"I'm quite concerned," she said in court.

Bard, 61, is facing 19 charges including fraud, theft and money laundering. Some of the allegations date back to his time with an economic development agency in Moncton called 3+. Local business owners accused him of taking thousands of dollars in exchange for services he never delivered — and then vanishing.

His case has faced several delays, including resetting trial dates several times, since char

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