SNC-Lavalin back in court in shadow of former executive’s conviction
Posted December 18, 2019 4:00 am.
MONTREAL — SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. is back before a judge this morning as the engineering giant prepares to defend itself at trial following the conviction of a former top executive last Sunday.
The criminal cases are separate, but both relate to allegations of corruption and fraud in Libya going back roughly two decades.
The company and two of its subsidiaries face charges that they paid nearly $48 million to public officials to influence government decisions under the late dictator Moammar Gadhafi’s regime between 2001 and 2011.
The case also includes charges of fraud and corruption against the company for allegedly defrauding various Libyan organizations of roughly $130 million in a case that ensnared the company as well as the federal Liberal government in a political controversy.
Experts say the jury verdict Sunday that found former executive Sami Bebawi guilty of paying off foreign officials as he worked to secure contracts for the firm may have a bearing on the prosecution of the company. They say the case could hinge on whether senior SNC officials acted with the company’s blessing.
Today’s pre-trial hearing in a Montreal courtroom is a case-management conference, which can involve setting timetables and bringing motions on the admissibility of evidence.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2019.
Companies in this story: (TSX:SNC)
The Canadian Press
