Commissioner of RCMP Reveals Existence of ‘Multiple’ Open Investigations into Federal Contracting Irregularities
The RCMP currently has over six investigations open into irregularities around federal procurement, its commissioner confirmed during committee testimony on its investigation into the ArriveCan app.
“This committee, and Canadians, are looking for answers and accountability around ArriveCan,” RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme testified before the public accounts committee on June 18.
“The RCMP has multiple investigations underway into these matters,” he added.
“We are currently investigating several files that are looking at the procurement process that could lead to an element of corruption. But at this point in time, I’m not saying that we’re anywhere close to that. And again, I don’t want to get into any details,” he said.
There have been months committee hearings into the ArriveCan application, which was used to check the COVID-19 vaccination status of travelers crossing the Canada-U.S. border. A report by the auditor general in February found that the application cost an estimated $59.5 million to develop, but that record-keeping was “so poor” that the precise cost of it could not be determined.
The report also found that agencies like the Canada Border Services Agency, Public Health Agency of Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada failed to follow “good management practices” in the contracting, development, and implementation of ArriveCan.
