Disciplinary council hearings are underway to consider whether Mr. Lamarre infringed the L’Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec’s code of ethics and professional duties in the early 2000s.

By Nicolas Van Praet | The Globe and Mail

Summary

The professional order overseeing engineering in Quebec began a disciplinary hearing on Monday to investigate the conduct of Jacques Lamarre, the former CEO of SNC-Lavalin (rebranded as AtkinsRéalis Group Inc.).

The hearings are the result of an investigation by the Ordre’s Office of the Syndic, which subsequently filed a formal complaint against Mr. Lamarre, focusing on SNC-Lavalin’s past business dealings in Libya and political financing activities in Montreal. These include allegations that Mr. Lamarre either authorized the purchase of a US$25-million yacht for Saadi Gaddafi, the son of the late Libyan dictator, Muammar al-Gaddafi, or was aware of the purchase due to his position as CEO.

Mr. Lamarre’s conduct has been under scrutiny since 2015 when SNC-Lavalin became engulfed in a corruption scandal stemming from allegations the engineering giant had used bribery to win contracts from the Libyan government during the Gaddafi regime. The company eventually pleaded guilty to fraud in 2019 and paid a $280-million fine.

Mr. Lamarre has denied the allegations against him and his lawyer has entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.

Two former executives, Riadh Ben Aissa and Sami Bebawi have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the 2015 corruption and bribery scandal. If found to have acted inappropriately, Mr. Lamarre could face sanctions, including being stripped of his status as a professional engineer and fines of up to $62,500 for each infraction.

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