Global Courant
OTTAWA –
The RCMP says it is not investigating allegations of political interference in the federal handling of criminal charges against engineering firm SNC-Lavalin.
In a statement today, the Mounties set the record right after a recent response to a request for access to information from a public interest group suggested that the Mounties were conducting such an investigation.
In 2015, SNC-Lavalin Group and two of its subsidiaries, SNC-Lavalin Construction and SNC-Lavalin International, were charged with corruption of a foreign government official and fraud arising from business transactions in Libya.
SNC-Lavalin had been unsuccessfully pressuring the director of the state’s attorney’s office to negotiate a special settlement – known as a redress agreement – over concerns that the company would be unable to make federal contracts for a decade if convicted of criminal charges .
In early 2019, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported that aides to the prime minister leaned on Jody Wilson-Raybould, who was the federal attorney general at the time, to ensure a deal was in place that would avoid prosecution.
Wilson-Raybould resigned from the cabinet days later and was subsequently expelled from the Liberal caucus.
The federal ethics watchdog concluded in August 2019 that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau violated the conflicts of interest law by the way he handled the issue.
In a written response to questions from The Canadian Press, the National Police said its sensitive and international investigative unit has conducted an assessment regarding the allegations of interference.
“As part of that review, the RCMP has spoken with and gathered information from various sources and investigated the matter in the most thorough, objective and professional manner possible,” police said.
“After a comprehensive and impartial review of all available information, the RCMP determined that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate a criminal offense and closed the file.”
The conclusion was also communicated in a letter to the original complainant in January, police added.
Under an agreement announced in December 2019, SNC-Lavalin Construction pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud in excess of $5,000, and agreed to pay a $280 million fine and face three years’ probation. The remaining charges were withheld.
“The Sensitive and International Investigations Division of the RCMP has conducted an assessment in relation to these allegations. As part of that assessment, the RCMP has spoken to various sources and gathered information and investigated the matter…
— Rachel Aiello (@rachaiello) June 19, 2023
in the most thorough, objective and professional manner. After a comprehensive and impartial review of all available information, the RCMP determined that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate a criminal offense and closed the file.”
— Rachel Aiello (@rachaiello) June 19, 2023
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 19, 2023.
