When we learned early this year that SNC-Lavalin was owning up to $56-million in mystery payments, it was assumed that the money went through back channels to secure contracts overseas.  But there is a report this morning that $22-million worth of that cash ended up greasing the skids for the lucrative contract to oversee construction of Montreal's anglo superhospital.  

La Presse reports that the $22-million was sent offshore and did not return to Canada.  Instead, it made its way through several countries over two years, steered by a a possibly bogus firm and approved by a former SNC Lavalin executive who is now under arrest on money laundering charges in Switzerland.  

Where the cash ended up is not yet clear, but La Presse says that question is part of a corruption squad investigation.