Gaddafi-linked engineer extradited to Canada

The extradited businessman worked for SNC Lavalin at the time of the alleged bribery offences Keystone

Switzerland has extradited a businessman to Canada to face corruption charges linked to a Quebec hospital project. The dual Canadian-Tunisian citizen was convicted in Switzerland of a separate offence of bribing the deposed Gaddafi regime in Libya.

Earlier this month the 56-year-old was found guilty by a Swiss court of funneling bribe money through a Geneva bank account and of money laundering in connection to Libyan construction projects. The court heard that he paid millions of dollars in bribes to Saadi Gaddafi, son of former Libyan dictator, Moammar.

He received a three year suspended jail sentence after profiting personally to the tune of around CHF40 million ($38.2 million) from corruption.

Having spent two years behind bars in Switzerland awaiting trial, he was released by the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, but was immediately detained again while the Canadian extradition request was processed.

The former manager of Canadian construction firm SNC Lavalin was extradited on Wednesday on a flight from Geneva to Montreal, the justice ministry confirmed to swissinfo.ch, following a report by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper.

The businessman stands accused in Canada of defrauding the Quebec government in connection with a contract to build a hospital in the province.

The accused has previously denied the charges. He also threatened to sue LNC Lavalin in 2012 after being sacked by the company.