The Commons Government Operations Committee has ordered disclosure of all internal federal investigations into claims ArriveCan executives tried to destroy 1,700 emails, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. Earlier in the ongoing ArriveCan scandal a confidential Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) report suggested there was “four years’ worth of highly relevant, sensitive emails” destroyed, approximating “seven gigabytes or 1,700 emails.” Conservative MP Larry Brock on February 5 read the report into the committee record. Minh Doan, now chief federal technology officer, has not publicly answered allegations he attempted to hide documents on his dealings with contractors.“There seems to be a culture of hiding information, threatening those who come forward, reprisals and a general lack of accountability from senior leadership at the CBSA,” Conservative MP Larry Brock told the committee Tuesday. “This committee has bona fide concerns that the agency’s top brass is covering up and deliberately trying to hide their actions while scapegoating others.”CBSA executives testified they first heard of the alleged destruction of records at the February 5 hearing. The committee Tuesday by unanimous vote approved Brock’s motion that CSBA disclose “any and all evidence pertaining to deleted or missing agency emails attributed to Minh Doan” by April 19.“You are familiar with the allegations Minh Doan deleted thousands of emails?” asked Brock.“I am aware of the allegation,” replied Jonathan Moor, CBSA vice president.“When did you first become aware of that?” asked Brock. “When it was raised here in committee. I wasn’t aware before,” replied Moor.Auditor General Karen Hogan testified February 20 at the Commons Public Accounts Committee that it was impossible to know whether relevant documents were destroyed before they could be retrieved by investigators.“All these circumstances are just what they appear to be, circumstances. We still need accountability,” said Hogan“When documentation doesn’t exist it is either they never existed or they were destroyed. In this case we can’t tell you which it was, but there is a glaring lack of documentation.”Minh Doan last testified at a parliamentary hearing November 14 when he was threatened with contempt by the Government Operations Committee. “We followed the rules. No rules were broken as far as I am concerned,” said Doan. Witnesses named Doan as the federal manager responsible for hiring ArriveCan suppliers who pocketed millions through cost overruns and contracting irregularities. Doan denied it. “I still do not know who picked up the phone,” he said.
