OTTAWA — Canada’s director of public prosecutions cited the “nature and gravity” of SNC-Lavalin’s alleged corruption in Libya in making a preliminary decision not to negotiate a special plea agreement on the criminal charges it faces, the company says in a new court filing.
The company’s submission to the Federal Court of Appeal is the first public mention of the prosecutor’s apparent rationale for not pursuing an agreement with SNC-Lavalin that would see the company avoid a criminal trial and a possible 10-year prohibition from receiving federal contracts. SNC-Lavalin cites revelations from recent parliamentary-committee testimony by former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould and others in its latest effort to reopen the door to an agreement.
In its new filing with the Court of Appeal, SNC-Lavalin says “new and deeply troubling facts” that came to light in the political drama show that checks and balances intended to ensure accountability were “critically circumvented,” amounting to a “clear abuse of process.” However, SNC-Lavalin stresses in its filing that significant activity was taking place between those dates.
Our independent prosecutors made a professional call that is their's only to make: prosecute SNC. PMJT still thinks he knows better and that it is okay to exert influence on who to, or who not to, prosecute. Wow.
The problem is not the company. It was the executives that ran that company at that time. Go after the executives. They are the fuckers who were doing the illegal activity. They were the people doing and allowing the shady deals. cdnpoli
We will be watching. Our democracy depends upon the integrity of the independence of our judicial systems.