OTTAWA—An international economic organization that oversees global anti-bribery efforts says it’s concerned by allegations that Prime Minster Justin Trudeau and senior officials tried to interfere in the criminal case against SNC-Lavalin, pointedly warning Canada about its obligations to safeguard independent prosecutions. “It’s still at the stage of allegations but even this is enough for us to be concerned,” said Drago Kos, a senior anti-bribery official with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.“We are not so much interested in the decision of the prosecutor, this agreement or not. That has to be an autonomous decision of the prosecutor which should not be influenced by anybody,” said Kos, the chair of the OECD working group on bribery.“This is the point of our concern,” he told the Star in a telephone interview.And Kos said the excuse used by Trudeau and others for their interventions — that they were concerned about jobs at SNC-Lavalin — is not a legitimate justification.Former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould told a Commons’ committee in February that she was subjected to a “sustained” pressure campaign last fall to mediate fraud and corruption charges against SNC-Lavalin related to work in Libya. That would allow the Quebec construction and engineering company to avoid a criminal prosecution and with it, a 10-year ban on bidding in federal contracts.Read more: From taking on teachers to running with bulls, Jody Wilson-Raybould was raised to challenge powerJody Wilson-Raybould testimony was ‘Canada’s Indigenous constitution in action,’ say expertsOpinion | Tanya Talaga: Jody Wilson-Raybould shines a light on what it means to be law abidingThe independent director of public prosecutions had decided to proceed with the criminal charges and though Wilson-Raybould had the power to direct a mediated deal, she decided not to.And yet &# ...
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