FEDS TARGET CORPORATE CRIMES
The Canadian government is vowing to introduce legislation for corporate wrongdoing that could help SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. address criminal charges. It says deferred prosecution agreements (DPA), which were called for in public consultations last fall, will be another tool used by judges to hold firms accountable. Shares in SNC Lavalin, which faces fraud and corruption charges, increased more than four per cent Friday after the announcement and the company’s results a day earlier that beat analyst expectations. The firm has argued that the agreements would allow companies to settle corporate corruption cases and avoid being put at a disadvantage when competing against rival firms in G7 countries that have such dispute resolution options. Ottawa also says it will make enhancements to the Integrity Regime. No timeline for the legislative changes was provided.