Alberta health contracts suspended after corruption allegations

 

 

 

Alberta health contracts have been suspended after corruption allegations surfaced. The NDP and provincial health care advocates are calling for the RCMP to investigate the corruption allegations. The NDP is demanding that the premier resign if corruption is proven. The Alberta Auditor General is investigating the health contracts.

Alberta Health Services is reviewing contracts with several companies following allegations by former CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos. AHS has said it will not award contracts to the companies involved. There were reports that Mentzelopoulos was fired after she investigated how some companies were winning government contracts. NDP Leader Nahid Nenshi expressed anger at this. Mentzelopoulos’ lawyer alleges that UCP government officials pressured him to sign new deals for chartered surgical facilities and fired him days before he was scheduled to meet with the auditor general. The NDP is calling for four types of investigations: by the RCMP, the auditor general, the ethics commissioner and a judicially-led public inquiry.

The opposition is demanding that all those accused, including Premier Daniel Smith, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange and interim AHS president and CEO Andre Tremblay, step down during the investigation.