A former SNC-Lavalin boss was sentenced to 8-1/2 years in prison Friday after being found guilty of fraud and corruption in Libya..Sami Bebawi, 73, was sentenced by Superior Court Justice Guy Cournoyer, who chose a prison range closer to the top of the scale given a number of aggravating factors in the case..Bebawi pulled a suitcase into court with him and when reporters asked if other staff in the engineering firm should also be held to account, he said: “Definitely.”.He was found guilty by a jury last month of paying kickbacks to foreign officials and pocketing millions as he worked to secure contracts in the late 1990s..His sensational trial focused on his dealings with Saadi Gadhafi, son of late Libyan strongman Moammar,.Cournoyer said several factors, including the sophisticated nature of the fraud, the degree of planning, and Bebawi’s behaviour after the infractions had been committed, meant a jail term at the top of the scale..The case returns to the court on Jan. 28 to discuss what to do with the proceeds of crime..After the Bebawi verdict, the Montreal firm also settled criminal charges on its business dealings in Libya, agreeing to a $280-million fine..The resolution brings the company closer to ending a long-standing scandal whose tentacles reached the Prime Minister. and his office..dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter: Nobby7694
