OTTAWA—The federal ethics commissioner leading a probe into the SNC-Lavalin affair will take a “prolonged” absence for medical reasons, according to his office.Mario Dion, who was appointed ethics commissioner in 2017, announced Tuesday that he is stepping back from his duties due to medical reasons.It wasn’t immediately clear what Dion’s absence will mean for the small team of investigators looking into the high-profile dispute between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office and former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould.“The office also continues to gather information for any ongoing investigations. Because of the statutory confidentiality requirements, we cannot comment further,” read a statement from his office.“Commissioner Dion will resume his duties as soon as he is able to do so. We hope you will join employees of the office in expressing our best wishes for Commissioner Dion’s health.”Calls to the ethics office’s communications team were not immediately returned Tuesday afternoon.Dion was looking into allegations that Trudeau, his senior staff and the country’s top public servant inappropriately pressured Wilson-Raybould to cut SNC-Lavalin a deal to avoid criminal prosecution.The Montreal construction giant faces criminal bribery and fraud charges related to executives’ conduct in Libya from 2001 to 2011. If convicted, SNC-Lavalin could face a 10-year ban from bidding on federal contracts in Canada — a significant part of its business.The firm, which is headquartered in Montreal but employs 3,000 people in Ontario, has asked for a “deferred prosecution agreement” — a new legal tool that could allow it to avoid a criminal conviction in favour of hefty fines and governance reforms.The independent director of public prosecutions refused those calls for a deferred deal, and Wilson-Raybould said she refused to overturn that decision. Last week, a fede ...
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