MPs Question Credibility of Testimony from IT Firm Partner in ArriveCAN Scandal
The co-owner of an IT firm involved in the ArriveCAN scandal testified that submitting resumés with inflated work experience was a mistake, not fraud. This claim was met with disbelief from several MPs. In his opening statement to the Government Operations committee, GC Strategies partner Kristian Firth acknowledged the mistake and stated that it was unintentional and did not impact contract awards. Conservative MP Garnett Genuis expressed his skepticism, calling Firth the “least believable witness” he had encountered. The committee is currently examining the allocation of taxpayer funds to GC Strategies, Dalian, and Coradix for the development of the ArriveCAN app, which has faced criticism for its high cost. The committee also heard allegations from the co-founders of subcontractor Botler AI, who raised concerns about transparency surrounding the use of federal funds in subcontracting deals.
The committee discussed the issue of inflated work experience in resumés during Firth’s testimony. Firth admitted to modifying the resumés of Botler AI co-founders Amir Morv and Ritika Dutt into multiple versions that met evaluation criteria for government contracts. However, he mistakenly sent the wrong versions to the government. MPs questioned Firth’s actions, with New Democrat MP Gord Johns highlighting the inflated work experience and suggesting that Firth did so intentionally. Firth insisted it was an honest mistake and apologized for the error. Conservative MP Larry Brock expressed discomfort with the situation, accusing Firth of manipulating the resumés to secure government funding for Botler AI.
Firth faced further scrutiny regarding his credibility, with Conservative MP Michael Barrett questioning his claim of not having any influence over government officials. Barrett referenced a recorded conversation from 2019 in which Firth claimed to have the “ear” of a former CBSA president. Firth responded by stating that he never claimed to have influence. Barrett criticized Firth for his lack of preparation and for not supplying basic details about his earnings from federal contracts and the ArriveCAN app. The committee members expressed frustration with Firth’s responses and ordered him to provide banking records related to ArriveCAN.
