Auditor General Karen Hogan told the Commons Public Accounts committee on Thursday that federal managers did not tell auditors about a police investigation related to the ArriveCan app when they were conducting a review of the app..According to Blacklock’s Reporter, MPs requested the audit a year ago but were not informed about the RCMP investigation..“Despite my staff auditing all of the departments in this audit, management had not informed me they referred a contracting matter which involved many common players we are looking at to the RCMP,” testified Auditor Hogan. .Hogan’s office only learned of the police matter from a whistleblowers’ account in the October 4 issue of the Globe and Mail..“It was the Canada Border Services Agency that did the referral,” said Hogan. .“I would have expected they would have informed us. Through the course of our audit, we always ask questions linked to actual, suspected or alleged fraud and we would expect there is an ongoing responsibility for officials to keep us informed of any matters that are relevant to the subject we are auditing. I am disappointed they did not tell us.”.“Not only are you disappointed, but Canadians are disappointed,” replied Conservative MP Larry Brock (Brantford-Brant, ON). .“Members of Parliament are disappointed.”.“You have been charged with a very serious responsibility and one would think at the very least the government would exercise some transparency and accountability to notify you about this investigation,” said Brock. .“They failed. They failed you, failed Canadians.”.“At the core of the allegations, they use the phrase ‘misconduct,’” said Brock. .“But when you do a deep dive into the particular story, it goes beyond misconduct. It goes into criminality. That’s why the RCMP is investigating it.”.“There are allegations regarding identity theft, fraudulent forged resumes, contractual theft, fraudulent billing, price fixing, collusion, all with senior bureaucrats with the Government of Canada,” Brock told the Public Accounts committee..On November 2, 2022, the House of Commons voted 173 to 149 to conduct a full audit of the ArriveCan app..MPs were concerned about the unusually high cost of $54 million for the program designed to verify the vaccination status of cross-border travellers..“There is obviously something fishy going on,” Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre said in Commons debate. .“The government does not want Canadians to know the truth.”.Cabinet in 2020 mandated travellers download the app to pre-submit proof of vaccination prior to arrival in Canada. The requirement was suspended on October 1, 2022..Auditor Hogan stated on Thursday the police investigation led her office to conduct additional interviews with federal managers connected to ArriveCan contracting..“It has caused me as an Auditor to ask my team to go back and make sure we covered off everything we should have,” said Hogan..“We have the intention of re-interviewing people we interviewed and asking them questions. We have intentions of interviewing new people as a result of the article.”.“Can you identify who the new people are that you’re interviewing?” asked Brock. .“I am still in conversation with the Canada Border Services Agency about that,” replied Auditor Hogan.
Auditor General Karen Hogan told the Commons Public Accounts committee on Thursday that federal managers did not tell auditors about a police investigation related to the ArriveCan app when they were conducting a review of the app..According to Blacklock’s Reporter, MPs requested the audit a year ago but were not informed about the RCMP investigation..“Despite my staff auditing all of the departments in this audit, management had not informed me they referred a contracting matter which involved many common players we are looking at to the RCMP,” testified Auditor Hogan. .Hogan’s office only learned of the police matter from a whistleblowers’ account in the October 4 issue of the Globe and Mail..“It was the Canada Border Services Agency that did the referral,” said Hogan. .“I would have expected they would have informed us. Through the course of our audit, we always ask questions linked to actual, suspected or alleged fraud and we would expect there is an ongoing responsibility for officials to keep us informed of any matters that are relevant to the subject we are auditing. I am disappointed they did not tell us.”.“Not only are you disappointed, but Canadians are disappointed,” replied Conservative MP Larry Brock (Brantford-Brant, ON). .“Members of Parliament are disappointed.”.“You have been charged with a very serious responsibility and one would think at the very least the government would exercise some transparency and accountability to notify you about this investigation,” said Brock. .“They failed. They failed you, failed Canadians.”.“At the core of the allegations, they use the phrase ‘misconduct,’” said Brock. .“But when you do a deep dive into the particular story, it goes beyond misconduct. It goes into criminality. That’s why the RCMP is investigating it.”.“There are allegations regarding identity theft, fraudulent forged resumes, contractual theft, fraudulent billing, price fixing, collusion, all with senior bureaucrats with the Government of Canada,” Brock told the Public Accounts committee..On November 2, 2022, the House of Commons voted 173 to 149 to conduct a full audit of the ArriveCan app..MPs were concerned about the unusually high cost of $54 million for the program designed to verify the vaccination status of cross-border travellers..“There is obviously something fishy going on,” Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre said in Commons debate. .“The government does not want Canadians to know the truth.”.Cabinet in 2020 mandated travellers download the app to pre-submit proof of vaccination prior to arrival in Canada. The requirement was suspended on October 1, 2022..Auditor Hogan stated on Thursday the police investigation led her office to conduct additional interviews with federal managers connected to ArriveCan contracting..“It has caused me as an Auditor to ask my team to go back and make sure we covered off everything we should have,” said Hogan..“We have the intention of re-interviewing people we interviewed and asking them questions. We have intentions of interviewing new people as a result of the article.”.“Can you identify who the new people are that you’re interviewing?” asked Brock. .“I am still in conversation with the Canada Border Services Agency about that,” replied Auditor Hogan.
