"Cement group Lafarge was due to go on trial in France on Tuesday, accused of paying the Islamic State group and other jihadists protection money to build its business in war-torn Syria. In a similar case in the United States, the French firm pleaded guilty of conspiring to provide material support to US-designated foreign "terrorist" organisations and agreed to pay a $778 million (€675 million) fine, in the first case of such a charge against a corporation."
"In the French trial, Lafarge - which has since been acquired by Swiss conglomerate Holcim - is accused of paying millions of dollars in 2013 and 2014, via its subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS), to jihadist groups and intermediaries to keep its plant operating in northern Syria. Groups it allegedly paid include the Islamic State group (IS) and Syria's then Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra."
Lafarge is accused of paying Islamic State and other jihadist groups protection money through its subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria in 2013–2014 to keep a northern Syria plant operating. The firm pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiring to provide material support to US-designated terrorist organisations and paid a $778 million fine. Defendants in France include Lafarge, former director Bruno Lafont, five ex-operational and security staff and two Syrian intermediaries. Charges include funding terrorism and breaching international sanctions, with fines potentially up to €1 million plus higher penalties for sanctions violations. Holcim says it had no knowledge after acquiring Lafarge.
Read at The Local France
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