Canada develops an anti-corruption law after SNC Lavalin Algeria scandal

Canadian Foreign Minister, John Baird, announced an the authentication of the Canadian Parliament unanimously of a law to fight corruption, at a time Canadian justice opened investigation into the issue of bribes in which SNC Lavalin company is involved.

“Canadian authorities have taken legal action against those involved in the bribery case, as they will be tried in front of justice at the time people who are implicated were arrested and there is the appointment to lead the company”, Canadian FM added.

Canadian official attended a press conference at the Algerian Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in Algiers, accompanied by his Algerian counterpart, who was recently appointed as Foreign Minister, Ramdane Laamamra, and he was asked on how to strengthen relationships between Algeria and Canada, at the time one of the companies that were operating in Algeria was involved in corruption cases against the public funds, and he answered; “It makes no sense to circulate the charge of corruption on all Canadian companies that are operating in Algeria, because there are other Canadian companies that are active in Algeria fairly and lawfully. SNC Lavalin opened its doors currently before the Algerian justice to investigate and get the information that will illuminate the course of investigations”. 

This was confirmed by Laamamra who said that investigations are underway and the Algerian justice operates from its part to pursue the case in coordination with the Canadian judicial authorities, pointing out that there is a significant security coordination between the two countries in the fight against terrorism, in the framework of the Joint Commission for the fight against terrorism in the Sahel.

For his part, Laamamra announced that the situation in the region is sensitive and challenges are great, adding that what happened in Mali is not only a strong warning about the seriousness of the threats that can be in fact reduced, but they could be repeated, pointing out that despite the terrorist threat in the Sahel region, which has become prominent on the border shared by Algeria with its neighbors, but it is the country that is mostly stable in our region”, at a time the number of brotherly and friendly countries are threatened by the phenomenon of cross-border criminality.