No verdict after one day of deliberations in trial of ex-SNC exec Sami Bebawi

MONTREAL – Jurors have completed their first day of deliberations in the fraud and corruption trial of a former SNC-Lavalin executive without delivering a verdict.

Sami Bebawi, 73, has pleaded not guilty to five charges that include fraud, corruption of foreign officials and laundering proceeds of crime.

Jurors emerged once on Thursday with a question about re-listening to testimony, but did not return a verdict.

The Crown has alleged that Bebawi was the architect of a system to grease the wheels in Libya in order to secure lucrative deals.

The case centres on several major infrastructure projects and alleged dealings with Saadi Gadhafi, one of the sons of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Bebawi’s lawyer that the younger Gadhafi did not have any real power or authority and could not be considered a foreign public official.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2019.