Ex-Exec Paroled After Dodging $24M Fraud Fine

0:00It's April 27, I'm Cory with the story, this is Canada News Today, driven by AI. A 79-year-old former exec from S&C Lavalin named Sammy Babui just got day parole even after a judge slapped him with an extra 10 year. Sentence for dodging a $24 million fine tied to his original fraud conviction. Back in December 2019, a jury nailed him for fraud, corrupting foreign officials, and laundering money to score big engineering contracts. From Libya in the late 1990s, all through one of dictator Moemar Gaddafi's sons, he started with an eight-and-a-half-year term plus that massive fine due by February 14, 2025, or face the add-on time. Earlier this month on April 7, another judge made it official. He wouldn't pay, so the extra decade kicked in. But he'd already snag full parole last October while fighting it in court, showing good behavior. The parole board of Canada, Greenlit his day release, Friday on Correctional Service Canada's

1:00say-so, ruling no risk of violence. They recalculated his eligibility fast, despite the unusual fine penalty set up. He's got a crash at a halfway house three nights a week, hand over financial records to his officer, and steer clear of handling anyone else's investments. Babui still grapples with accepting the full hit, but his steady cooperation keeps the door open as he navigates this twisted sentence path.