It's just $1,700, but what's at issue at the trial of London's mayor is what the money was really for.

The Crown says London Mayor Joe Fontana doctored a Marconi Club wedding reception contract in 2005 with the intention of skimming $1,700 from the federal government.

Not so fast, says Fontana's defence team, who are hinting that there was a legitimate purpose for the money that was reimbursed to the then-federal cabinet minister and wholly unrelated to the nuptials.

The numbers and the documents are piling up at Fontana's widely anticipated Superior Court trial that began Monday morning.

Fontana, 64, who was a federal cabinet minister at the time of the wedding, said he was “confident' when he arrived at the London courthouse. He pleaded not guilty to three charges: Breach of trust by a public official, fraud and uttering forged documents.

Not long later, Fontana's lawyer, Gordon Cudmore, told Justice Bruce Thomas that his client admits to doctoring the personal contract document with the Marconi Club signed in October 2004 for his son's wedding and submitting it for payment with the House of Commons comptroller.

Cudmore admitted that not only was the date changed, the purpose was changed from “wedding” to “reception” and the original signature by his wife, Vicky, was covered over and then signed by Fontana himself.

Also added, Cudmore said, was the word “original”.

Assistant Crown attorney Tim Zuber said in his opening statement that five months after the Fontanas booked the wedding reception, the doctored document landed on the desk of Fontana's assistant on Parliament Hill, Kristy Cairns.

A yellow sticky note was attached to the paper in Fontana's handwriting directing: “Please submit miscellaneous constituents reception.”

The cheque was cut by the government and was sent to the Marconi Club. The payment by government cheque showed up on the final invoice for the wedding.

The court heard from Marconi Club former general manager Joe DiPietro, who identified the documents and described the routine of booking parties and weddings.

The Fontanas made their $1,700 deposit in October 2004 for the wedding in June 2005 – the deposit was in the ledger - and signed the contract with the number 2661.

When the final bill was drawn up, the Government of Canada cheque for $1,700 was included in the payment of the wedding that cost $18,900.

But DiPietro was foggy on details. He had no independent recollection that the cheque was for the wedding or any conversation with club president Vince Trovado about what the money was really for. The court also heard from Cairns, who confirmed she sent the invoice with a form letter from Fontana's House of Common's office.

The letter asked that the expenses be paid back to Fontana directly.

She agreed in cross-examination by defence lawyer Jim Dean that in March 2005, when the doctored contract was submitted, there was a government budget crunch and that there was pressure to submit all bills before the end of the fiscal year.

Monday afternoon, the Crown will play a video of Fontana's interview with the RCMP in the fall of 2012.

Jane.sims@sunmedia.ca?

Patrick.maloney@sunmedia.ca