Latest news with #JacquesLamarre
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
JACQUES LAMARRE RESIGNS FROM THE ORDRE DES INGÉNIEURS DU QUEBEC: "I AM LEAVING WITH MY HEAD HELD HIGH"
MONTREAL, Aug. 13, 2025 /CNW/ - An engineer for nearly six decades, Jacques Lamarre, former President and CEO of SNC-Lavalin, announced today his resignation as a retired member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ). He is denouncing a decision by the Order's Disciplinary Council that he considers unfair and unreasonable, despite his acquittal on several charges, following a process he describes as deeply unfair. "I am proud of my career and the role I played as an executive at SNC-Lavalin," said Mr. Lamarre. "But given the ongoing conflict with the Order and the way I have been treated, I have no choice but to resign." Mr. Lamarre points out that when he left the company in early 2009, SNC-Lavalin was on an enviable financial footing and had world-class technical expertise. Among his achievements during his tenure were major international projects, the acquisition of CANDU nuclear technology, and assets that generated more than $6 billion in profits for the company. A questionable complaint Mr. Lamarre says he is particularly disappointed with the way the disciplinary investigation was conducted: "The Syndic of the Order granted complete immunity to certain witnesses with conflicts of interest, while seeking to hold me responsible for actions for which those same witnesses were found guilty in other proceedings. " He also denounced the fact that he was being prosecuted even though he no longer practices as an engineer and left SNC-Lavalin in 2009, more than 16 years ago. The harm suffered was exacerbated by the casual attitude of the Order's Syndic, who disclosed more than 150,000 pages of documents to him in a disorganized manner, without clear links to the charges. This constitutes a lack of procedural fairness, which compromised his ability to defend himself adequately. However, the Disciplinary Council exonerated him of any involvement in the Kafhafi yacht case and the repair of the Jacques Cartier Bridge deck. "When I was informed by the Swiss authorities of the fraudulent actions of certain executives, I did not hesitate to cooperate fully and strongly denounce these actions." A call to clean up the construction industry Mr. Lamarre also recalls his refusal to allow the company to bid on contracts with the City of Laval, which had a poor reputation at the time, and his role in cleaning up the industry by contributing to the working group on union placement in construction, at the request of the Minister of Labor in 2010. "I have always defended engineering as a noble profession, based on rigor, competence, and integrity. It is with this conviction that I have served my profession." A dignified departure Despite the circumstances, Jacques Lamarre says he is leaving the Order with his head held high and a clear conscience, convinced that he has acted with integrity: "I am leaving without bitterness, but with clarity. My commitment to engineering remains intact."
Globe and Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Quebec engineering body finds former SNC-Lavalin CEO guilty on multiple counts of misconduct
Former SNC-Lavalin Group chief executive Jacques Lamarre has been found guilty of seven of 14 allegations of misconduct made against him by Quebec's professional order for engineers. Last fall, the disciplinary council of L'Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec began several days of hearings to decide whether Mr. Lamarre infringed the organization's code of ethics and professional duties in the early 2000s when he was CEO of SNC-Lavalin, now known as AtkinsRéalis Group Inc. ATRL-T These hearings followed an investigation by the Ordre's Office of the Syndic, which then launched a formal complaint against the former engineering executive. AtkinsRéalis eyeing U.S. market for nuclear technology push The Syndic made 14 separate allegations against Mr. Lamarre as part of its disciplinary complaint, which are related to previous legal cases involving the company. The allegations link broadly to SNC-Lavalin's past business conduct as it sought contracts in Libya, as well as past political financing activities in Montreal. Among the findings of guilt, L'Ordre concluded that SNC-Lavalin under Mr. Lamarre's leadership directly or indirectly made payments amounting to about $2-million to the family of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, notably for expenses incurred by his son Saadi while he stayed in Canada. Mr. Lamarre was found not guilty on allegations that he sanctioned the purchase of a luxury yacht for Saadi. The former CEO last year denied the Syndic's allegations. Reached late Tuesday, he declined to comment on the final rulings. In early 2012, Swiss and Canadian police discovered questionable payments from SNC-Lavalin that ran through bank accounts in Switzerland and other countries. These payments were later found to be bribes to procure contracts for projects in Libya during Moammar Gadhafi's rule, as SNC-Lavalin sought a share of contracts offered by his government. In 2015, SNC-Lavalin and two affiliates were charged with fraud and violating Canada's Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act tied to its dealings in Libya. The company requested a settlement to the case, commonly known as a deferred prosecution agreement, but was denied. SNC-Lavalin solidified an agreement with prosecutors in 2019 for the company's construction division to plead guilty to a single charge of fraud while the corruption charge was dropped. The company agreed to pay a $280-million fine and received a three-year probation order. In 2016, the company acknowledged that it engaged in a scheme that involved SNC-Lavalin employees being encouraged to donate to federal political parties and then be reimbursed through fake personal-expense claims, bonuses or benefits. Canadian law states that businesses cannot make financial contributions to political parties irrespective of candidates. The company later entered into a compliance agreement with the Commissioner of Canada Elections. SNC-Lavalin also admitted that it used a similar strategy for donations to Quebec political parties. No penalties for Mr. Lamarre were announced by L'Ordre, though it said it will set a date for sanctions. He could be revoked of his status as a professional engineer, or face fines.
