The Commons Government Operations committee this week ordered the disclosure of federal contracts with selected suppliers spanning a period of 12 years.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, this order came after a subcontractor from Quebec testified he had evidence of sweetheart dealings involving certain high-ranking officials within the federal public service and preferred suppliers, referring to them as "bad apples."“It should be evident to everyone in this room, as well as Canadians, there is systemic corruption within this government,” said Conservative MP Stephanie Kusie (Calgary Midnapore, AB). “It should be absolutely evident after this meeting and your testimony.”Amir Morv, the chief technology officer at Botler Artificial Intelligence Inc. in Montreal, testified he could provide evidence of certain federal executives engaging in improper dealings with contractors.“I have been closely studying and documenting numerous vulnerabilities we have uncovered in Canada’s procurement regime,” said Morv. “We have also witnessed these vulnerabilities being systematically exploited by government officials in the highest levels of the public service.”“What on earth would cause a few bad apples to act in this manner?” asked MP Kusie. “There are actually a few bad apples,” replied Morv.“It’s either extortion or personal benefit. I think personal benefit is something that could be the cause of this.”Morv said his company was paid off-the-books as a subcontractor for work with the Canada Border Services Agency. He said all evidence was submitted to the RCMP as part of an ongoing investigation.Morv’s firm received $112,000 out of an agreed $350,000 without a written contract, with a 20% commission and a $50,000 flat fee intended for a general contractor, leaving MPs surprised.“I have never heard of anyone getting paid $112,000 doing contract work for the government and getting paid without a contract,” said New Democrat MP Gord Johns (Courtenay-Alberni, BC). “Well, that’s the case,” replied Morv.Morv said the general contractor he dealt with was GC Strategies Incorporated. The company boasted of having friends who “rubbed shoulders with every deputy minister in town,” he said.“Are you able to tell me the names of any of those people?” asked Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, ON). “Sure,” replied Morv. “We have an agreement to table some of those names.”One GC Strategies partner “routinely boasted he and his friends, senior government officials with contracting authority, have ‘dirt on each other,’” testified Morv.“What does that mean?” asked Barrett. “We don’t know,” replied Morv.GC Strategies Incorporated has admitted to receiving millions of dollars in federal contracts since 2020 despite being a small company with only two partners working out of a home office located in Woodlawn, ON, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Ottawa.“GC Strategies invoiced over $44 million over the past two years for all of our federal work over 20 departments,” Kristian Firth, one of the GC Strategies partners, testified on October 20, 2022, at the Commons Government Operations committee. “We are an IT staffing firm. We are not involved. We have no direction on the projects or the objectives.”“You are the broker or the middleman between the government and the service provider. Is that correct?” Barrett asked at the 2022 hearing. “Essentially yes,” replied Firth.
