Ottawa to move on legislation allowing firms to settle corporate corruption
MONTREAL — The Canadian government may be handing SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. a lifeline to resolve the criminal charges it faces by vowing to change the law to allow settlements to address corporate wrongdoing.
The introduction of deferred prosecution agreements (DPA) will offer a way for companies to address bribery and other corruption accusations without going to trial, according to the federal government.
Under a DPA, criminal prosecution is suspended if the accused admits guilt, pays a significant fine, puts safeguards in place and co-operates with authorities. Upon completion, the charges are withdrawn.
The process is meant to prevent blameless employees and others from suffering dire consequences if a convicted company is barred from securing government contracts.