Canadian engineering firm SNC-Lavalin used “secret code” to pay bribes on projects across Africa and Asia, its former international engineer Mohammad Ismail has told Canadian media.
The company has an allocation to win contracts funded by international development agencies, Ismail told CBC News television.
Two news media – CBC News and the Globe and Mail – in a joint investigation also revealed that SNC-Lavalin used the code words “PCC” or “CC” to describe the hidden costs to get the contracts of design and supervision.
Ismail on May 15 told CBC News: “They interchangeably used the word, PCC. Sometimes it was 'project consultancy cost', sometimes 'project commercial cost,' but the real fact is the intention was bribe.”
SNC-Lavalin officials Ramesh Saha and Mohammad Ismail are now facing trial in a Toronto court for attempting bribery in relation to the Padma bridge project. A preliminary hearing of the case was held last month and the next date is May 29.
The diary of Ramesh Saha contained a list of 10-12% commission receivers for the Padma Bridge project. The diary quotes: “Padma PCC, 4% Min, 2% Kaiser, 2% Nixon, 1% Secretary and 1% Moshi Rahman.”
According to the documents, “Min” referred to former communication minister Syed Abul Hossain and “Kaiser” is former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, “Nixon” is the prime minister’s nephew Mujibur Rahman, “Secretary” is former Bridges Division secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and “Moshi Rahman” is the prime minister’s economic affairs advisor Mashiur Rahman.
There was 2% kept for someone, but the name was not available.