By Canadian Press

Fraud, corruption trial underway for former SNC-Lavalin executive Sami Bebawi

Oct 31, 2019 | 8:03 AM

MONTREAL — The fraud and corruption trial of a former executive with the Montreal engineering giant SNC-Lavalin has gotten underway at the Montreal courthouse.

Jurors were selected earlier this week in the trial of Sami Bebawi, and the first witnesses are due to testify today.

Bebawi, 73, faces eight charges including fraud, corruption, laundering proceeds of crime, possession of stolen goods and bribery of foreign officials.

The charges were laid in 2014, following an RCMP investigation that also led to charges against the company itself for paying nearly $48 million to Libyan officials to allegedly influence government decisions.

SNC-Lavalin is also accused separately of fraud and corruption for allegedly defrauding various Libyan organizations of roughly $130 million.

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The case against SNC-Lavalin remains before the courts.

Bebawi is the last of several former SNC-Lavalin employees still facing charges for his ties with Libya.

Earlier this year, Stephane Roy, another former executive, received a stay of proceedings due to unreasonable delays in bringing his case to trial.

The Canadian Press