SNC-Lavalin and 2 Former Execs Charged With Fraud and Forgery

A man walks past the headquarters of SNC Lavalin in Montreal on Nov. 6, 2014. The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson

The RCMP has arrested and laid charges against two former SNC-Lavalin executives, who are now facing multiple criminal charges including fraud, fraud against the government, forgery, and conspiracy, police said on Sept. 23.

The two men, identified as Normand Morin, a former vice-president of SNC-Lavalin, and Kamal Francis, a former vice-president of SNC-Lavalin International Inc., were charged, along with their former companies, in relation to criminal activities involving the Quebec-based engineering consortium.

Known as Project Agrafe, the RCMP investigation is looking into various SNC subsidiaries and employees in relation to bribes that police allege were paid in exchange for obtaining contracts.

“This was a lengthy and highly complex investigation,” said Denis Beaudoin, Inspector of the National Division RCMP Sensitive and International Investigations section, in a statement.

“As a result of [investigators’] continued dedication, evidence was identified and gathered over a number of years, which has ultimately resulted in the charges announced today.”

Morin and Francis have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear in a Montreal court on Sept. 27, along with representatives for SNC Lavalin Inc. and SNC Lavalin International Inc.

While the RCMP did not disclose details of the charges laid against the two men, along with SNC-Lavalin Inc. and its international branch, they involve offences under Canada’s Criminal Code including forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud against the government, and conspiracy to commit fraud against the government.

SNC-Lavalin was previously charged with bribery in relation to its dealings in Libya, which became the centre of a high-profile conflict between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and then-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould in 2019.