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French cement firm Lafarge faces terror financing charges
(MENAFN) Court proceedings against French cement producer Lafarge continued on Wednesday, with defense teams firmly rejecting accusations that the company or its former staff financed terrorist groups, according to reports.
The case before the Paris Criminal Court centers on allegations that Lafarge, as a corporate entity, along with eight individuals, engaged in “financing a terrorist organization” linked to the company’s operations in Syria between 2013 and 2014.
Representing Norwegian national Jacob Waerness, a former security employee at Lafarge, his lawyer argued that there was no connection between his client’s inspections of checkpoints run by armed groups and any financial arrangements made by the company. He stressed that his client never encouraged or supported the financing of terrorist organizations.
Another defense lawyer for Lafarge disputed claims that the company failed to properly address the allegations. He emphasized that after media reports emerged in 2016 accusing Lafarge of funding armed groups in Syria, the company itself requested an investigation by a specialized firm, according to reports. He also stated that none of the defendants were suspected of backing terrorist organizations for ideological reasons.
A separate Lafarge lawyer highlighted that the company’s Syrian subsidiary, Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS), is not among the defendants in the trial. He argued that LCS was the main entity responsible for payments made to armed groups and maintained that the parent company did not directly finance terrorist organizations, instead pointing to what he described as “indirect financing.”
The lawyer representing Syrian defendant Amro Talep, accused of serving as an intermediary between raw material suppliers connected to armed factions during Syria’s civil war, told the court that his client had no actual contact with terrorist organizations. He said Talep had previously lied to Lafarge employees about such contacts. Addressing the judge, he stated: “I will ask you to believe this liar (Talep),” adding that his client was himself a victim of the conflict in the region.
According to reports, earlier investigative findings published in 2021 brought global attention to documents indicating that Lafarge had financed the ISIS terror group with the awareness of French intelligence services.
As part of a judicial inquiry launched in June 2017, several senior company figures, including Lafarge’s former chief executive, were charged with terrorism financing offenses.
In October 2024, three investigating judges ruled that the Lafarge group and four former executives would face trial on charges of financing a terrorist organization and breaching the European Union embargo that prohibits all financial and commercial dealings with such groups, including ISIS.
The case before the Paris Criminal Court centers on allegations that Lafarge, as a corporate entity, along with eight individuals, engaged in “financing a terrorist organization” linked to the company’s operations in Syria between 2013 and 2014.
Representing Norwegian national Jacob Waerness, a former security employee at Lafarge, his lawyer argued that there was no connection between his client’s inspections of checkpoints run by armed groups and any financial arrangements made by the company. He stressed that his client never encouraged or supported the financing of terrorist organizations.
Another defense lawyer for Lafarge disputed claims that the company failed to properly address the allegations. He emphasized that after media reports emerged in 2016 accusing Lafarge of funding armed groups in Syria, the company itself requested an investigation by a specialized firm, according to reports. He also stated that none of the defendants were suspected of backing terrorist organizations for ideological reasons.
A separate Lafarge lawyer highlighted that the company’s Syrian subsidiary, Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS), is not among the defendants in the trial. He argued that LCS was the main entity responsible for payments made to armed groups and maintained that the parent company did not directly finance terrorist organizations, instead pointing to what he described as “indirect financing.”
The lawyer representing Syrian defendant Amro Talep, accused of serving as an intermediary between raw material suppliers connected to armed factions during Syria’s civil war, told the court that his client had no actual contact with terrorist organizations. He said Talep had previously lied to Lafarge employees about such contacts. Addressing the judge, he stated: “I will ask you to believe this liar (Talep),” adding that his client was himself a victim of the conflict in the region.
According to reports, earlier investigative findings published in 2021 brought global attention to documents indicating that Lafarge had financed the ISIS terror group with the awareness of French intelligence services.
As part of a judicial inquiry launched in June 2017, several senior company figures, including Lafarge’s former chief executive, were charged with terrorism financing offenses.
In October 2024, three investigating judges ruled that the Lafarge group and four former executives would face trial on charges of financing a terrorist organization and breaching the European Union embargo that prohibits all financial and commercial dealings with such groups, including ISIS.
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