Financing of IS in Syria: by pleading guilty, Lafarge pays 778 million dollars

At the heart of the case, there is the Lafarge cement plant in northern Syria, in Jalabiya.

It came into operation in 2010 a year before the start of the Syrian revolution which then turned into a civil war.

Delil souleiman / AFP

Text by: Oriane Verdier Follow

4 mins

In front of the American justice, Lafarge pleaded guilty and will have to pay 778 million dollars.

The cement manufacturer was accused of undermining national security for having financed the Islamic State in Syria. 

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The Brooklyn federal prosecutor summarized the case in one phase: “ 

In the midst of the Civil War, Lafarge made the unthinkable choice to put money in the hands of ISIS, one of the most serious terrorist organizations. barbarians in the world in order to continue selling cement.

 »

At the heart of the problem: the group's cement plant in Jalabiya, in northern Syria, one of the most modern and largest in the Middle East.

It came into operation in 2010, a year before the start of the Syrian revolution which later turned into a civil war.

This area of ​​Syria quickly became part of the territories targeted by the Islamic State organization.

►Also read: The cement manufacturer Lafarge will pay 778 million dollars in the United States for supporting ISIS

According to American justice, the company then paid nearly 6 million dollars to the EI and the Front al-Nosra between August 2013 and October 2014. Direct payments of money, orders from suppliers controlled by the group terrorist or the payment of a percentage of sales.

These arrangements have nevertheless enabled the French company to generate a turnover of 70 million dollars at a time when the price of building materials is soaring.

After several hostage-takings of employees released for ransom, the factory nevertheless closed its doors in the fall of 2014 when the site was taken over by the Islamic State organization.

Washington therefore believes that by financing the terrorist group, Lafarge undermined the national security of the United States.

The company has since been swallowed by the Swiss group Holcim, in 2015. It is therefore up to the latter to bear the responsibility for some of the former leaders, in particular before the American authorities.

By pleading guilty, he escapes a long trial and thus closes the American side of the case.

Accusations between old and new leader

The former CEO of Lafarge, Bruno Lafont also reacted to the news on Wednesday.

He notably accuses Holcim of having carried out an investigation " 

exclusively against him

 ".

Discord is not new.

According to leaks in

Le Parisien

, already last year before the French investigating judge, the CEO of Holcim accused

Bruno Lafont

and his collaborators of having concealed the criminal activities of Lafarge in Syria at the time of the merger in 2015. Holcim's strategy is to detach responsibility from the people of the company it acquired.

But this Wednesday, October 19, the former CEO reaffirmed that he had not been informed of payments to " 

terrorist groups in Syria

 ".

The stakes are high for Bruno Lafont, since he himself is indicted for financing terrorism in France.

Indicted for "complicity in crimes against humanity"

The judicial investigation was opened in 2017 after revelations from the newspaper

Le Monde

.

Today, Bruno Lafont wishes to be heard again by the investigating judges to "

discuss new elements

 " and " 

request the declassification of certain documents

 ".

For its part, the Lafarge company is indicted for  

“complicity in crimes against humanity”

, “financing of a terrorist enterprise” and “endangering the lives of others”.

This last charge was claimed by the former Syrian employees who were civil parties.

In addition to taking hostages, they had to fend for themselves at the closing when the cement plant was taken over by IS to reach the Turkish border.

This component could create case law for French groups based abroad who employ their local employees in precarious or at-risk conditions.

The indictment for "complicity in crimes against humanity" is also extremely rare.

The case is being scrutinized by other French companies which could be involved in other countries.

On this charge, Holcim announced that it had appealed against the confirmation on appeal of this indictment. 

Diplomats from the Quai d'Orsay as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, Laurent Fabius, have already been heard as witnesses.

Their status could change if it turned out that they had knowledge of Lafarge's payments in Syria and had not notified the courts.

Unlike in the United States, the company will not be able to negotiate a fine in France against the abandonment of criminal proceedings.

The law does not allow it for suspicions of complicity in crimes against humanity.

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  • Syria

  • IS

  • Terrorism

  • United States

  • France