The former boss of the engineering and industrial division at SNC-Lavalin, a Quebec authority on the construction of large projects, was sentenced to 42 months in prison on Tuesday for his participation in the corruption of a senior federal official at the start of the 2000s.
During the hearing at the Montreal courthouse, the accused Normand Morin was first handcuffed behind the back by a special constable, who then guided him to the accused box, where he listened to the judge’s judgment. Superior Court Judge Eric Downs.
Last February, a jury found the 82-year-old man guilty of defrauding the government, fraud and forgery, relating to the rigging of the call for tenders for the repair of the deck of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, in October 2000.
An investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police revealed that SNC-Lavalin (which today changed its name to AtkinsRéalis) had paid a $2.3 million bribe to Michel Fournier, the former president of the Federal Bridge Corporation, in order to obtain a $127 million contract without real competition.
Cynicism and disillusionment
The judge who was to determine the sentence noted that “the accused pulled all the strings allowing a large bribe to be paid to a corrupt official”. The magistrate cited a judgment of the Court of Appeal which emphasizes the consequences of corruption crimes, which “generate cynicism and disillusionment among citizens with regard to public institutions and their efficient and equitable management of taxes and taxes.”
The judge noted several mitigating factors, including that the defendant has always been an asset to society and cares for his severely disabled adult daughter. He imposed a sentence of 42 months in detention, more lenient than the five and a half years imposed a few years ago on the corrupt official in this case, Michel Fournier.
A co-accused Mr. Fournier, Kamal Francis, announced that he will plead guilty soon in the same case. As for SNC-Lavalin, the company had negotiated a “deferred prosecution agreement” with the authorities, a procedure which allows a company to admit the facts and pay a penalty while avoiding a criminal trial. She paid a fine of 30 million.
A call to come
Justice Downs noted that Mr. Morin is a “leader in Quebec and Canada in engineering and the construction of concrete structures.” He worked on the Montreal Olympic Stadium, the development of James Bay and the Manic 5 dam.
The prosecution in this case was represented by Mr.e Francis Pilotte and Me Martin Duquette, from the corruption case team of the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP). The defense was provided by M.e Nellie Benoit, Me Jean J. Bertrand and Me Simon Ghattas.
Mr. Morin has already indicated that he will appeal his conviction and request to be released during the remainder of the legal process. Before he left the courtroom, his wife spoke to the police and prosecutors who took him behind bars.
“I hope the good Lord will punish you,” she said coldly.