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The contract win sheds light on SNC’s business opportunities in Canada as it fights charges of bribing Libyan government officials to secure contracts. If it’s found guilty, it could be restricted from bidding on federal contracts for up to 10 years.

As SNC’s attempt to negotiate a remediation agreement instead of going to court dominates political headlines, questions remain over whether projects like the Trillium Line extension would get the green light if the company is found guilty of bribing Libyan government officials to secure contracts.

Most major infrastructure projects in Canada, particularly transit projects, are built with funding from municipal, provincial and federal governments, often with each throwing in one-third. This means there isn’t a simple answer to what SNC would be able to bid on if restricted from federal contracts.

“That’s the hard question,” AltaCorp Capital analyst Chris Murray said Thursday. “There’s a broad debate that’s happening right now inside public works about what the actual rules should be.”

City staff in Ottawa concluded SNC will be able to do the work, regardless of the outcome of the charges.

SNC-Lavalin is currently allowed to bid on projects under an administrative agreement with Public Services and Procurement Canada it signed in 2015 after being charged with bribery. The agreement was the first under a revised integrity regime designed to be less harsh on companies that had yet to be convicted for criminal charges.