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OTTAWA — Canada’s director of public prosecutions cited the “nature and gravity” of SNC-Lavalin’s alleged corruption in Libya in making a preliminary decision not to negotiate a special plea agreement on the criminal charges it faces, the company says in a new court filing.

The prosecutor’s office also pointed to the “degree of involvement” of senior company officers and said the Montreal-based firm “did not self-report” the conduct that gave rise to the charges, SNC-Lavalin reveals in the court documents.

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Lawyers for the director of public prosecutions provided the three reasons during a brief Sept. 4, 2018, phone conversation with SNC-Lavalin to explain the prosecutor’s “preliminary indication” that an invitation to negotiate what is known as a remediation agreement with the company would not be forthcoming, the filing says.

The company’s submission to the Federal Court of Appeal is the first public mention of the prosecutor’s apparent rationale for not pursuing an agreement with SNC-Lavalin that would see the company avoid a criminal trial and a possible 10-year prohibition from receiving federal contracts.