Private contractors and government officials will soon have to answer questions from MPs about an investigation into contracting complaints with ties to the ArriveCan app.
Earlier this month, the Globe and Mail reported the RCMP is investigating allegations of misconduct against three tech companies, GCStrategies, Dalian Enterprises and Coradix.
The allegations stem from complaints the co-founders of Botler, a software company based in Montreal, made. The company was tasked to work on a pilot project for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in 2019.
Co-founders Ritika Dutt and Amir Morv told the publication they were tasked to work with GCStrategies and not the CBSA directly in February 2020. Cameron MacDonald, the agency’s director general at the time, was the one who gave the direction, the Globe reports.
When the pilot received approval, the pair discovered their main contract was with Dalian and that GCStrategies was a subcontractor. Each of these organizations would “collect substantial commissions.” Dutt and Morv told the Globe they had never heard of Dalian before this point.
The pair also learned a third company, Coradix, was submitting “invoicing-related reports” using their personal information to the CBSA. The company didn’t have permission to do so.
They first informed the CBSA of their concerns in September 2021 and submitted a detailed report in November 2022. Following the submission of the second report, the CBSA launched an internal review and alerted the RCMP to the matter, the Globe reported.
The same three companies, as well as senior public servants, were involved in both the Botler and ArriveCan projects.
On Tuesday, the House of Commons committee on government operations and estimates approved a motion calling for various parties, including senior staffers and executives from Botler, Dalian and GC Strategies, to answer questions regarding the investigation.
Canada’s Auditor-General is completing an audit on the ArriveCan app, which will be extended given the RCMP’s investigation.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Source: Globe and Mail
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