French prosecutors are seeking a hefty fine and prison sentences for executives of Lafarge, the French cement giant, over alleged financing of terrorist groups in Syria. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) has requested a fine of €1.125 billion for Lafarge SA.
The prosecution is also seeking prison terms for eight former company officials, with the most severe penalty being eight years for Syrian intermediary Firas Tlass, who is being tried in absentia and is subject to an international arrest warrant.
Prosecutors are requesting a six-year prison sentence for former Lafarge CEO Bruno Lafont, along with a €225,000 fine and a ten-year ban from holding commercial or industrial positions, or managing a company. They are also seeking the confiscation of €30 million in assets belonging to Lafarge SA as a legal entity.
Furthermore, the prosecution has requested a joint customs penalty of €4.57 billion for four of the accused and the company for allegedly failing to comply with international financial sanctions. The investigation centers on allegations that Lafarge, through its Syrian subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS), paid millions of euros to designated terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, in 2013 and 2014. These payments were allegedly made to ensure the continued operation of its cement plant in Jalabiya, northern Syria.
While other multinational corporations withdrew from Syria in 2012, Lafarge initially evacuated only its foreign staff, keeping Syrian employees working until September 2014, when the Islamic State seized control of the area where the factory was located. The trial is ongoing and is closely watched due to its implications for corporate responsibility in conflict zones.
