donshafi911@IAmTheFaceOfTruth🔻

 

French intelligence infiltrated Lafarge, collaborated with extremists in Syria: Ex-CEO

In an interview with Liberation published on 31 March, Bruno Lafont, the former CEO of Lafarge, accused French intelligence of having infiltrated the company in Syria, where it collaborated with extremist groups, including ISIS.

“The French authorities have encouraged us to maintain our activities in Syria,” he said in the interview.

Bruno Lafont was among eight Lafarge executives who stood trial for their alleged crimes against humanity and the financing of extremist groups, including ISIS, as well as having endangered employees’ lives.

The French industrial company’s factory continued its operation in Syria despite extremist groups taking over large swathes of the country until finally shutting down its factory in Jalabiya, Aleppo, in September 2014.

On 18 October 2022, Lafarge, which became part of Swiss-listed Holcim in 2015, pleaded guilty to US charges that it made payments to extremist groups in Syria.

However, after a long silence, the former CEO now claims that the French intelligence service gave the orders to continue operations.

“It is clear that between the story we told at the beginning, the one that says that Lafarge, for purely lucrative reasons, would have financed terrorist groups in Syria between 2013 and 2014, and what we discover today, the situation is totally different,” he said.

“We learn that there was a special relationship between the French State and its services, and Lafarge (…). One of the reasons the state took an interest in us was that the factory site was really a strategic location for the anti-terrorist coalition and for France. This is why, I believe, that the authorities encouraged us, at least, to maintain our activities in Syria,” he added.

Lafont is now hoping to be able to make a statement in a French court, which previously accused and sentenced him for allegedly paying between 4.8 to 10 million Euros to extremist groups in Syria in 2013 and 2014.

After the Swiss group Holcim took over Lafarge, the company agreed to pay a fine of $778 million to the US and plead guilty to supporting terrorist organizations.

https://thecradle.co/article-view/23180

Intelijen Prancis menyusup ke Lafarge, berkolaborasi dengan ekstremis di Suriah: Mantan CEO

Dalam sebuah wawancara dengan Liberation yang diterbitkan pada 31 Maret, Bruno Lafont, mantan CEO Lafarge, menuduh intelijen Prancis telah menyusup ke perusahaan di Suriah, di mana mereka berkolaborasi dengan kelompok ekstremis, termasuk ISIS.

"Otoritas Prancis telah mendorong kami untuk mempertahankan aktivitas kami di Suriah," katanya dalam wawancara.

Bruno Lafont termasuk di antara delapan eksekutif Lafarge yang diadili atas dugaan kejahatan mereka terhadap kemanusiaan dan pendanaan kelompok ekstremis, termasuk ISIS, serta membahayakan nyawa karyawan.

Pabrik perusahaan industri Prancis melanjutkan operasinya di Suriah meskipun kelompok-kelompok ekstremis mengambil alih sebagian besar negara itu sampai akhirnya menutup pabriknya di Jalabiya, Aleppo, pada September 2014.

Pada 18 Oktober 2022, Lafarge, yang menjadi bagian dari Holcim yang terdaftar di Swiss pada tahun 2015, mengaku bersalah atas tuduhan AS bahwa mereka melakukan pembayaran kepada kelompok ekstremis di Suriah.

Namun, setelah lama terdiam, mantan CEO itu sekarang mengklaim bahwa dinas intelijen Prancis memberi perintah untuk melanjutkan operasi.

"Jelas bahwa di antara cerita yang kami ceritakan di awal, yang mengatakan bahwa Lafarge, untuk alasan yang murni menguntungkan, akan membiayai kelompok teroris di Suriah antara 2013 dan 2014, dan apa yang kami temukan hari ini, situasinya benar-benar berbeda," katanya.

“Kami mengetahui bahwa ada hubungan khusus antara Negara Prancis dan layanannya, dan Lafarge (...). Salah satu alasan negara menaruh minat pada kami adalah karena lokasi pabrik benar-benar lokasi yang strategis untuk koalisi anti-teroris dan untuk Prancis. Inilah sebabnya, saya percaya, bahwa pihak berwenang mendorong kami, setidaknya, untuk mempertahankan kegiatan kami di Suriah,” tambahnya.

Lafont sekarang berharap dapat membuat pernyataan di pengadilan Prancis, yang sebelumnya menuduh dan menghukumnya karena diduga membayar antara 4,8 hingga 10 juta Euro kepada kelompok ekstremis di Suriah pada 2013 dan 2014.

Setelah grup Swiss Holcim mengambil alih Lafarge, perusahaan setuju untuk membayar denda $778 juta kepada AS dan mengaku bersalah karena mendukung organisasi teroris.