Understanding the Investigations Into ArriveCan Developers: Criminal and Parliamentary Probes Explained
A simple mobile application with an initial estimated cost of $80,000 has turned into a $59.5 million scandal as law enforcement and political agencies and committees probe the now infamous ArriveCan app.
Reports
The House of Commons passed a motion for the auditor general to conduct a performance audit of ArriveCan in November 2022, following months of negative headlines surrounding the app.
Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan released her long-awaited report on the application Feb. 12, in which she criticized the government agencies responsible for overseeing its development and implementation. Ms. Hogan said the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)—showed a “glaring disregard” for standard management and contracting practices with ArriveCan.
The report also estimated the app cost $59.5 million, but indicated the figure may be inaccurate as it was based only on available documents. Ms. Hogan said the data management for ArriveCan was “probably some of the worst financial record-keeping that I’ve seen.”
Ongoing Audits and Investigations
CBSA’s executive director of professional integrity Michel Lafleur is also conducting an investigation of ArriveCan. The preliminary statement of facts, which was obtained by Conservative MP Larry Brock, said the CBSA found employee misconduct so serious that it required the RCMP to investigate criminal charges of fraud and bribery.
The RCMP confirmed in October 2023 it was investigating the potential misconduct of three companies that worked on the ArriveCan app: GC Strategies, Dalian, and Coradix. The auditor general’s report estimated that GC Strategies received $19.1 million for work on ArriveCan, while Dalian and Coradix received $7.9 million.
The RCMP told The Epoch Times it received a Feb. 13 letter from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who asked the force to expand its current criminal investigation into the contracting practices of businesses involved in ArriveCan.
The Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO), which has been investigating ArriveCan for months, ordered a 10-year audit Feb. 14 of all federal payments to GC Strategies. The committee adopted the motion sponsored by Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie, which calls for the auditor general to examine “all payments to GC Strategies and other companies incorporated by the co-founders, and all contracts with the Government of Canada.”