As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
CTV
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
The search warrant was executed on Tuesday by the RCMP's Sensitive and International Investigations unit, in Woodlawn, Ont., west of Ottawa.
The RCMP spokesperson said the search was not related to an ongoing ArriveCan investigation, and that the national police force would not provide the name or business to protect the privacy of the persons at the residence.
"As the investigation is ongoing and there are no charges at this time, there will be no further information provided," the RCMP spokesperson said.
The RCMP has previously confirmed it is "investigating a matter referred from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that is based on allegations brought to their attention by Botler AI," a firm that did not work on ArriveCan, but raised flags about related contracting practices.
The all-party decision to force GC Strategies partner Kristian Firth to appear before the bar of the House of Commons – the brass rod extending across the floor of the Chamber barring those uninvited from passing – was made last week after some procedural deliberation and collaboration.
Firth took his place on the periphery of the House of Commons after question period, and was admonished by the Speaker for what MPs have deemed to be his "prevaricating" testimony before the committee probing the controversy surrounding the ArriveCan application.
