A Paris criminal court has sentenced former Lafarge executives over secret payments to armed groups in Syria, sparking renewed debate on cross-border corporate accountability as US authorities intensify efforts to hold individuals responsible.
A Paris criminal court has handed prison terms to former Lafarge executives over secret payments made in Syria to keep the French cement maker’s plant running during the country’s civil war, in a ruling that has reignited debate over how far corporate misconduct can reach across borders. According to reports from Global Cement, Le Monde and Al Jazeera, the court found the scheme amounted to financing terrorism and breaking sanctions, with judges describing it as organised and illegal. The company was also fined, and the verdict remains open to appeal.
The case centres on activity at Lafarge Cement Syria between 2013 and 2014, when prosecutors said money was channelled to armed groups including Islamic State and the al-Nusrah Front in exchange for protection and permission to continue operating. Le Monde reported that the court said the payments formed a covert system designed to preserve business at the factory, while OCCRP said investigators presented evidence that around $5.9 million flowed to militant groups and intermediaries over the period in question.
Former chief executive Bruno Lafont received a six-year sentence, while other senior figures were given terms ranging from 18 months to seven years, depending on their role, according to the reports. Cemnet said one intermediary was sentenced in absentia to seven years, and Global Cement reported that the company was fined €1.125 million for terrorism financing and €4.5 million in customs penalties. OCCRP also said a joint customs fine of €4.57 million was imposed on Lafarge and several former executives.
The French ruling follows a separate US case in which Lafarge pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiring to provide material support to foreign terrorist organisations and agreed to pay $778 million in fines and forfeiture, according to the US Justice Department. That earlier American settlement focused on the corporate entity rather than individuals, but the NatLawReview article argues that US prosecutors are now more likely to pursue executives directly as enforcement priorities shift towards personal accountability, including in cases involving cartels and foreign bribery.
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