Two Border Services Agency (BSA) executives suspended without pay for their involvement in the ArriveCan scandal are attempting to squash the matter in court. Federal records obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter show the two execs, Cameron MacDonald and Antonio Utano, claim no criminal wrongdoing and accuse the investigator’s 360-page 2023 Preliminary Statement Of Facts report that led to their suspensions to be “scandalous.” “The applicants were denied procedural fairness during the investigation by being denied the details of the complaint which triggered the investigation and by being excluded from the investigation,” their lawyer wrote in court documents. “The allegations set out therein are spurious, scandalous and clearly designed to discredit the applicants with unsubstantiated and untested accusations of such magnitude and severity any reader could only be left to draw the conclusion of malfeasance and potential criminal activity,” the letter states. Though the BSA has not disclosed the Statement of Facts report, excerpts were read for the record during a February 5 Government Operations Committee hearing by Conservative MP Larry Brock. It alleged bribes were paid in the development of the $59.5 million ArriveCan program.“I have the information right before me,” Brock said at the time. “It is very clear.” The Preliminary Statement Of Facts alleged “serious employee misconduct, so serious that you required the RCMP to investigate at least two criminal charges, fraud and bribery,” he said.“I can read it,” said Brock. Page 10 of the report alleged an ArriveCan contractor “solicited a bribe,” he said.Documents also suggested a third BSA executive attempted to destroy ArriveCan records under investigation, “four years’ worth of highly relevant, sensitive emails between the years of 2018 and 2022,” said Brock. “The approximate amount of those emails is roughly seven gigabytes or 1,700 emails.”The Trudeau Liberals and the president of BSA have not been able to explain the inflated costs of the ArriveCan program or why contractors benefited through insider dealing. “I am deeply concerned,” Auditor General Karen Hogan testified February 12 at the Commons Public Accounts Committee. “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.”“The bookkeeping I looked at is the worst I have seen,” testified Hogan. Auditors put expenses at $59.5 million but “were unable to calculate the exact cost” of the ArriveCan program that cabinet originally claimed cost $19.8 million.“$60 million is an estimate, is that correct?” asked Conservative MP Michael Barrett.“Yes,” replied Hogan.“Did Canadians get value for money?” asked MP Barrett. “We paid too much for this,” replied Hogan..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
Two Border Services Agency (BSA) executives suspended without pay for their involvement in the ArriveCan scandal are attempting to squash the matter in court. Federal records obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter show the two execs, Cameron MacDonald and Antonio Utano, claim no criminal wrongdoing and accuse the investigator’s 360-page 2023 Preliminary Statement Of Facts report that led to their suspensions to be “scandalous.” “The applicants were denied procedural fairness during the investigation by being denied the details of the complaint which triggered the investigation and by being excluded from the investigation,” their lawyer wrote in court documents. “The allegations set out therein are spurious, scandalous and clearly designed to discredit the applicants with unsubstantiated and untested accusations of such magnitude and severity any reader could only be left to draw the conclusion of malfeasance and potential criminal activity,” the letter states. Though the BSA has not disclosed the Statement of Facts report, excerpts were read for the record during a February 5 Government Operations Committee hearing by Conservative MP Larry Brock. It alleged bribes were paid in the development of the $59.5 million ArriveCan program.“I have the information right before me,” Brock said at the time. “It is very clear.” The Preliminary Statement Of Facts alleged “serious employee misconduct, so serious that you required the RCMP to investigate at least two criminal charges, fraud and bribery,” he said.“I can read it,” said Brock. Page 10 of the report alleged an ArriveCan contractor “solicited a bribe,” he said.Documents also suggested a third BSA executive attempted to destroy ArriveCan records under investigation, “four years’ worth of highly relevant, sensitive emails between the years of 2018 and 2022,” said Brock. “The approximate amount of those emails is roughly seven gigabytes or 1,700 emails.”The Trudeau Liberals and the president of BSA have not been able to explain the inflated costs of the ArriveCan program or why contractors benefited through insider dealing. “I am deeply concerned,” Auditor General Karen Hogan testified February 12 at the Commons Public Accounts Committee. “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.”“The bookkeeping I looked at is the worst I have seen,” testified Hogan. Auditors put expenses at $59.5 million but “were unable to calculate the exact cost” of the ArriveCan program that cabinet originally claimed cost $19.8 million.“$60 million is an estimate, is that correct?” asked Conservative MP Michael Barrett.“Yes,” replied Hogan.“Did Canadians get value for money?” asked MP Barrett. “We paid too much for this,” replied Hogan..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.
