Alleged PMO obstruction in SNC Lavalin case

[OldSolduer]

Martin Shkreli?

Could be.

 

[mariomike]

Could be.

I think it might be.
https://www.google.com/search?ei=DdqCXIC7L46asQXex7egBQ&q=%22Martin+Shkreli%22+hiv&oq=%22Martin+Shkreli%22+hiv&gs_l=psy-ab.3..35i39.22787.26712..27239...0.0..0.93.186.2......0....1..gws-wiz.YOJCsCqrEKw

 

[Cloud Cover]

Conservatives will NOT introduce non-confidence motion against Trudeau in Parliament

https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2019/03/08/federal-conservatives-not-introducing-non-confidence-motion-against-trudeau-2/#.XILb_WJOk0O

All but over now?

 

[BurnDoctor]

Conservatives will NOT introduce non-confidence motion against Trudeau in Parliament

https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2019/03/08/federal-conservatives-not-introducing-non-confidence-motion-against-trudeau-2/#.XILb_WJOk0O

All but over now?

Um...Interrogative...Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over?

I really wish they’d keep the boot on the neck.

 

[Kirkhill]

Not hardly Cloud Cover

Found this via David Akin's Facebook

Killer column from National Observer's Sandy Garrossino who just happens to be a former Crown prosecutor.

https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/03/08/analysis/hidden-key-snc-lavalin-scandal?fbclid=IwAR0Anz-7a1HlZgqaC3zYpA0yF9kBGRXrA4rswNLiiy53yp6objYnAc-Fwyc

SNC-Lavalin, a Canadian corporate giant with an established history of corruption, is charged with bribing the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's brutal regime over many years, in exchange for lucrative contracts.

This case is the most serious and important prosecution of corporate corruption in modern Canadian history, and we're arguing about jobs and whether Jody Wilson-Raybould is hard to get along with.

It is not only appropriate, but essential that this matter go to trial in an open and public hearing, so that Canadians can see how the world's bloodiest tyrants are cossetted, indulged, and enabled.

Perhaps the most depressing spectacle of the entire affair is watching Justin Trudeau, a man who clearly aspires to greatness, debase himself and this nation, by begging, pushing, imploring Canada's attorney general to let this company off the hook.

Then effectively firing her when she wouldn't comply, and allowing her credibility to be undermined.

Just what kind of story does he think SNC-Lavalin's caught up in, Anne of Green Gables?

SNC, a corporate giant, bribed a bloody despot's regime in exchange for billions in contracts
For 16 years the global engineering and construction giant SNC-Lavalin cultivated a close relationship with the Muammar Gaddafi family, particularly his son Saadi.

According to criminal charges, for almost a decade of that period, up until the fall of the regime, SNC paid Saadi Gaadafi almost $50 million in exchange for billions of dollars in airport, pipeline, and water infrastructure projects.

Oh, and prisons.

Let's go over that again.

A Canadian company is charged with bribing a family infamous around the world for murder, torture, rape, abductions, and widespread human rights abuses, and doing it for its own profit. They didn't stop until the regime collapsed in 2011 and Swiss authorities came knocking. Charges were laid in April 2015.

Because of corruption's profoundly oppressive impact on the Libyan people, the SNC-Libya charges are vastly more serious even than the McGill hospital bribery scandal, in which SNC paid bribes of $22.5 million to secure the contract.

The article is a long one worth reading in full with some interesting videos attached.

Some of Lavalin's other enumerated crimes arguing against offering them a DPA in any country

It's highly significant that SNC is no stranger to disciplinary action over its conduct. During the 2001-2011 period of the alleged Libyan bribery, the company has:

been barred from bidding on Asian Development Bank projects for fabricating qualifications and documents (2004);

settled corruption allegations with the African Development Bank over bribes in Mozambique (2008) and Uganda (2010);

bribed Canadian officials with $22.5 million in relation to a McGill hospital contract (2009);
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/former-muhc-exec-to-serve-39-months-in-prison-wont-have-to-pay-back-10m-bribe
https://business.financialpost.com/investing/snc-lavalin-sues-former-ceo-for-millions-over-hospital-bribery-scandal

been credibly found by the World Bank as participating in high-level corruption in Bangladesh in 2009-2010, and entered into a voluntary debarment from World Bank-financed projects;
entered into a voluntary agreement to compensate seven Quebec municipalities for obtaining contracts through questionable means (1996-2011);

made illegal federal election campaign donations (2004-2011), entering into a voluntary compliance agreement with the federal elections commissioner
(Edit - $8,000  to the Conservatives  and $110,000 to the Liberals ).  https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/snc-lavalin-violated-elections-act-with-contributions-to-liberals-tories-1.3063412

In other words, from a prosecutor's standpoint, SNC's past history is a serious aggravating factor that militates against lenience.

 

[Kirkhill]

The Conservatives and the NDP have the prospect of Admiral Norman's case, various SNC Lavalin cases and motivated Press and Public Prosecutors ahead of them.

And Trudeau having lost his halo and his brain.

Time to heed Napoleon.

 

[tomahawk6]

Conservative news outlets are all over this story as Trudeau hasn't  any friends on this side of the border. Can he last until the election or will his government fall first ? I suspect the party would want to cast him off if he is unable to last this storm.


https://tinyurl.com/y47eatju

 

[Haggis]

Um...Interrogative...Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over?

Because they know it will be defeated.  It's better to use the media to keep the light on this scandal.

 

[BurnDoctor]

Because they know it will be defeated.  It's better to use the media to keep the light on this scandal.

Roger.

Hopefully,  the MSM and social media will do just that.

 

[Kirkhill]

More of the same

SNC-Lavalin loses court bid for special agreement to avoid criminal prosecution
SNC-Lavalin faces legal trouble over allegations it paid millions of dollars in bribes to obtain government business in Libya — a case that has prompted a political storm for the Trudeau Liberals

OTTAWA — SNC-Lavalin has a lost a court bid to overturn the public prosecutor’s refusal to negotiate an agreement that would see the company avoid a criminal trial.

In a ruling Friday, the Federal Court of Canada tossed out the Montreal-based engineering firm’s plea for judicial review of the 2018 decision by the director of public prosecutions.

SNC-Lavalin faces accusations it paid bribes to obtain government business in Libya — a criminal case that has prompted a political storm for the Trudeau Liberals.

Here’s what a 10-year ban on federal contract bids would mean for SNC-Lavalin
Why Jody Wilson-Raybould likely never pushed prosecutors to settle the case against SNC-Lavalin
Here’s how a new escape route could open up for SNC-Lavalin

The company unsuccessfully pressed the director of prosecutions to negotiate a “remediation agreement,” a legal means of holding an organization to account for wrongdoing without criminal proceedings.

The director told SNC-Lavalin last year that negotiating a remediation agreement would be inappropriate in this case, and the company asked the Federal Court for an order requiring talks.

In her ruling Friday, Federal Court Justice Catherine Kane said prosecutorial decision-making is not subject to judicial review, except for cases where there is an abuse of process.

“The decision at issue — whether to invite an organization to enter into negotiations for a remediation agreement — clearly falls within the ambit of prosecutorial discretion and the nature of decisions that prosecutors are regularly called to make in criminal proceedings,” she wrote.

In any event, the Federal Court would not have jurisdiction to review such a decision of the director of public prosecutions as the prosecutor’s authority flows from the common law, not a federal statute, Kane added.

SNC-Lavalin finds itself at the centre of a political tempest over allegations prime ministerial aides leaned on former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to help the company avoid prosecution.

Wilson-Raybould told the House of Commons justice committee late last month that she came under relentless pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office and other federal officials to ensure the company was invited to negotiate a remediation agreement.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his former principal secretary, Gerald Butts, have disputed the notion any inappropriate arm-twisting of Wilson-Raybould took place.

Meanwhile, SNC-Lavalin’s court action simmered away in the background.

In its Oct. 19 submission to the Federal Court, the company said while the public prosecutor has discretion to decide whether to open negotiations on a remediation agreement, this discretion “is not unfettered and must be exercised reasonably” under the law.

The company said it provided the prosecutor’s office with information showing the objectives of the remediation provisions were “easily met,” including details of SNC-Lavalin’s efforts to implement a world-class ethics and compliance program, as well as the complete turnover of the company’s senior management and board of directors.

The company also cited the “negative impact of the ongoing uncertainty related to the charges” on its business.

In a Jan. 8 response filed with the court, the director of prosecutions said SNC-Lavalin’s argument is “bereft of any possibility of success and should be struck.”

While SNC-Lavalin has the right to be assumed innocent and to a fair trial, it has “no right or entitlement” under common or criminal law to be invited to negotiate a remediation agreement, the director said.

WRT negative impact on business and employees - the international standard on DPAs from the UK

In SFO v Rolls Royce, the court flatly discounted the national economic interest, and treated employment concerns as peripheral (para 57):

"The final consideration... is the impact of prosecution on employees and others innocent of any misconduct or what might otherwise be described as the consequences of a conviction. I have no difficulty in accepting... that a criminal conviction against Rolls-Royce would have a very substantial impact on the company...and Rolls-Royce employees... None of these factors is determinative of my decision in relation to this DPA; indeed, the national economic interest is irrelevant...

As I have made clear... a company that commits serious crimes must expect to be prosecuted and if convicted dealt with severely and, absent sufficient countervailing factors, cannot expect to have an application for approval of a DPA accepted." (emphasis added)

In the U.K., job losses on their own are not sufficent to justify a DPA.

There, the great majority of foreign bribery cases proceeded to trial, with only three DPAs being entered into since 2013.

From the National Observer article referenced to David Akin above.

 

[Good2Golf]

Especially given the Federal Court’s decision today, the current AG would have to reverse the prior AG’s decision to let the DPP’s early-Sept decision to not pursue a DPA.  I suspect the Govt will stay away from that, but will continue to pursue its second line of pursuit, by PSPC adjusting the Federal acquisition policies to allow SNC to qualify for contracts even if it is found guilty of the bribery charges the RCMP laid (back in 2015 IIRC).

Regards
G2G

 

[Cloud Cover]

SNC is the foot note to the political story, unfortunately.
Edit: unless there is some sort of further political controversy related to it, this one is done.
Trudeau isn't resigning.
Andrew Scheer looks stupid.
JWR and JP are out, new people are in.

 

[Jed]

I’m not sure I agree with that assessment Cloud Cover. How does Scheer look stupid? From what I see every thinking viewer sees JWR testimony as credible. People will not let this slide.

 

[blacktriangle]

As if anyone actually thought Justin was going to apologize or resign on his own accord?  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

[vonGarvin]

Interesting story about the PM and his interaction with one of his MPs. Tangential to the overall story, but still relevant.

And this on International Women's Day

 

[Jarnhamar]

Interesting story about the PM and his interaction with one of his MPs. Tangential to the overall story, but still relevant.

And this on International Women's Day

Didn't want two women of colour quitting at the same time. Gotta have that magic women+minority quota. Trudeau is a classy guy.

 

[Jed]

Probably the wrong thread. Please move as required. I am totally disgusted with CBC to deflect from the most important story of PM / Goverrment nefarious doings and deflect over to crapola about US conspiracy theories, another grand apology by JT, etc. Ridiculous. Any fool can see through this bias. Amazing what 600,000 dollars can buy from Canada’s Pravda.

 

[brihard]

Probably the wrong thread. Please move as required. I am totally disgusted with CBC to deflect from the most important story of PM / Goverrment nefarious doings and deflect over to crapola about US conspiracy theories, another grand apology by JT, etc. Ridiculous. Any fool can see through this bias. Amazing what 600,000 dollars can buy from Canada’s Pravda.

The news cycle is fast, and little has shaken loose in the past couple days to refresh the issue. Scheer went off half cocked with shrill calls for PMJT’s resignation rather than finding procedures and processes by which the matter could be stretched out; it was frankly amateurish.

We have more testimony likely to come, and with that will come more coverage. Until then, the news needs fresh media to feed on.

 

[The Bread Guy]

In case you're interested, here's Friday's Federal Court decision (with a one-page summary downloadable @ a later post here) ...

 

[Jarnhamar]

The news cycle is fast, and little has shaken loose in the past couple days to refresh the issue. Scheer went off half cocked with shrill calls for PMJT’s resignation rather than finding procedures and processes by which the matter could be stretched out; it was frankly amateurish.

Agree with you 100%. Super amateurish of him. It's like he has no idea with the gold egg laying hen he just had dumped into his lap. The shrill "you have to resign" calls are common place for frankly almost every issue that arises. He sucks.

Im hoping the PM's newer newist problem of the black female PM quitting, and the story of her hostile interaction with him fan the flames along. Maybe even open the doors up for others to come forward. Trudeau sounds like a control freak that doesn't like women disobeying him.