TORONTO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2020) A former Canadian engineering giant executive was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for his role in fraudulent business dealings in Libya, the Canadian Press reported.
SNC-Lavalin executive Sami Bebawi was found guilty of all five fraud and corruption charges he faced on December 15 before being sentenced on Friday. Bebawi was convicted for his role in paying off Libyan officials and pocketing the proceeds of his criminal activities, while securing deals with the government of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The Crown had asked for a 9-year sentence, while defense sought a 6-year sentence, the report added.
The bribery scandal surrounding SNC-Lavalin rocked the Canadian political landscape after former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould claimed, and later testified before lawmakers, that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office pressured her in order to help the construction company avoid criminal prosecution on corruption charges, which might result in a ban on participating in government procurement if the firm is convicted.
In August, Canada's Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion following an investigation concluded that Trudeau had violated the Conflict of Interest Act while handling the corruption case of the SNC-Lavalin company.
