A federal judge has dismissed the appeal of two ArriveCan executives seeking to quash an investigative report alleging criminal wrongdoing, says Blacklock's Reporter.Antonio Utano and Cameron MacDonald, who were both suspended without pay on January 11, were never formally charged with any crime.In his ruling, Justice Russel Zinn of the Federal Court acknowledged the concerns of the executives regarding their "careers, reputations, dignity and livelihoods." However, he stated there were "no exceptional circumstances warranting this court to overstep its jurisdictional boundaries to intervene."Utano and MacDonald admitted to socializing with federal contractors but denied any involvement in insider dealing that allegedly enriched favored suppliers. The ArriveCan app, initially budgeted at $6.3 million, has known costs to date of $59.5 million. "We are not responsible for the $60 million," MacDonald testified at a February 22 hearing of the Commons government operations committee.The suspensions of Utano and MacDonald stemmed from an internal Preliminary Statement of Facts completed on December 18 by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) investigators. Despite their suspensions, they remain the only federal executives to face disciplinary action over ArriveCan irregularities.An uncensored version of the 360-page Statement of Facts has not been made public, and no copy was introduced as evidence in court. However, Zinn confirmed he reviewed a confidential version. Excerpts and summaries of the report were read into the record by Conservative MP Larry Brock (Brantford-Brant, Ont.) during a February 5 committee hearing. “I have the information right before me,” MP Brock stated. “It is very clear.”The report alleged "serious employee misconduct," prompting an RCMP investigation into potential fraud and bribery charges. One contractor allegedly solicited a bribe, according to the report. Additionally, documents suggested a third CBSA executive attempted to destroy ArriveCan records under investigation, which included approximately 1,700 emails spanning four years.Cabinet has yet to explain the runaway costs of the ArriveCan program or the preferential treatment of certain contractors. "I am deeply concerned," Auditor General Karen Hogan testified on 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."Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, Ont.) questioned the value received from the program. "Did Canadians get value for money?" he asked. Hogan responded, "We paid too much for this.".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.
A federal judge has dismissed the appeal of two ArriveCan executives seeking to quash an investigative report alleging criminal wrongdoing, says Blacklock's Reporter.Antonio Utano and Cameron MacDonald, who were both suspended without pay on January 11, were never formally charged with any crime.In his ruling, Justice Russel Zinn of the Federal Court acknowledged the concerns of the executives regarding their "careers, reputations, dignity and livelihoods." However, he stated there were "no exceptional circumstances warranting this court to overstep its jurisdictional boundaries to intervene."Utano and MacDonald admitted to socializing with federal contractors but denied any involvement in insider dealing that allegedly enriched favored suppliers. The ArriveCan app, initially budgeted at $6.3 million, has known costs to date of $59.5 million. "We are not responsible for the $60 million," MacDonald testified at a February 22 hearing of the Commons government operations committee.The suspensions of Utano and MacDonald stemmed from an internal Preliminary Statement of Facts completed on December 18 by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) investigators. Despite their suspensions, they remain the only federal executives to face disciplinary action over ArriveCan irregularities.An uncensored version of the 360-page Statement of Facts has not been made public, and no copy was introduced as evidence in court. However, Zinn confirmed he reviewed a confidential version. Excerpts and summaries of the report were read into the record by Conservative MP Larry Brock (Brantford-Brant, Ont.) during a February 5 committee hearing. “I have the information right before me,” MP Brock stated. “It is very clear.”The report alleged "serious employee misconduct," prompting an RCMP investigation into potential fraud and bribery charges. One contractor allegedly solicited a bribe, according to the report. Additionally, documents suggested a third CBSA executive attempted to destroy ArriveCan records under investigation, which included approximately 1,700 emails spanning four years.Cabinet has yet to explain the runaway costs of the ArriveCan program or the preferential treatment of certain contractors. "I am deeply concerned," Auditor General Karen Hogan testified on 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."Conservative MP Michael Barrett (Leeds-Grenville, Ont.) questioned the value received from the program. "Did Canadians get value for money?" he asked. Hogan responded, "We paid too much for this.".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.
