Two former federal officials involved in the controversial ArriveCan program have lost their attempt to challenge an internal government investigation, after a Federal Court judge dismissed their appeal and ordered them to pay more than $41,000 in legal costs.Blacklock's Reporter says the ruling from Federal Court Justice Yao-Yao Go rejected arguments brought by former Canada Border Services Agency managers Antonio Utano and Cameron MacDonald, who sought to overturn findings tied to their conduct during the development of the ArriveCan application.The court decision does not determine guilt or innocence in the broader allegations, but upholds the process used in the internal review.“My decision does not speak to merits of the agency’s allegations,” Go wrote in her ruling, which dismissed claims of procedural unfairness, bias, and improper handling of evidence raised by the two executives.Utano and MacDonald were among the only federal employees formally suspended in connection with ArriveCan, a pandemic-era travel application that ballooned from an initial estimated cost of $6.3 million to $59.5 million.The Canada Border Services Agency internal investigation also led to lifetime bans for two private contractors. The RCMP has been conducting its own investigation into the program since 2023, though no charges have been laid.At a parliamentary committee hearing in 2024, MacDonald denied responsibility for the program’s cost overruns, telling MPs, “We are not responsible for the $60 million.”.Documents and testimony presented at the House of Commons government operations committee have previously raised concerns about missing records and alleged misconduct tied to the program.Conservative MP Larry Brock said portions of a 360-page internal “Statement of Facts” indicated serious irregularities, including allegations that a contractor solicited a bribe. The full document has not been released publicly.Brock also told the committee that roughly 1,700 emails — spanning four years and totalling about seven gigabytes of data — were allegedly deleted or destroyed during the period under review.Separately, testimony has suggested another senior official attempted to erase records relevant to the investigation.The federal Auditor General has also criticized the handling of the ArriveCan project. Karen Hogan told MPs the procurement process showed some of the worst record-keeping she had ever seen.“I am deeply concerned,” Hogan said. “We did not find records to accurately show how much was spent on what, who did the work or how and why contracting decisions were made.”Auditors estimated total program costs at $59.5 million but said they could not determine the exact final figure due to missing documentation. Hogan also concluded Canadians did not receive full value for money.“The public service did not ensure Canada received best value for money,” she said. “I would tell you we paid too much for this.”
