Interim report for Alberta's investigation into AHS procurement delayed four months
The preliminary report of the Alberta government's investigation into procurement and contracting processes at Alberta Health Services (AHS) will be delayed by four months, and the final report by 3 1/2 months, the province announced Friday.
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In January, former Manitoba chief judge of the provincial court Raymond Wyant was appointed to lead the third-party investigation into Alberta's procurement of pharmaceuticals, and the services offered by chartered surgical facilities.
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His interim report was to have been due to government on Friday, but will now be pushed back until Sept. 24, a delay of three months and 26 days.
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Similarly, his final report was to have been due on June 30 but will now be completed by Oct. 15, a delay of three months and 16 days, and less than two weeks before MLAs return for the fall sitting of the legislature and five days before municipal elections are held across the province.
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Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Deputy Minister Christopher McPherson selected Wyant to lead the investigation and cited the large number of documents and interviews being reviewed in announcing the delay.
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'In consultation with and by the mutual agreement of judge Wyant and the deputy minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, I have extended the term of the investigation,' he stated in a news release.
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He added that the terms of reference for the investigation remain unchanged. Questions Wyant is considering include if any elected official, government of Alberta or AHS employee acted improperly during the procurement processes.
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Wyant's is one of several ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption within procurement practices at AHS that were raised in a $1.7-million wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed by the agency's former head, Athana Mentzelopoulos.
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Her allegations have not been tested in court and the government has denied wrongdoing.
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Alberta's Office of the Auditor General and the RCMP are also investigating.
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Critics, including Opposition New Democrats, have claimed Wyant's review is limited in scope and could be subject to political interference.
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