RCMP suspends contract awarded to company with ties to Chinese government
CTV
The RCMP has suspended a controversial contract it had awarded to a Canadian company whose parent organization has ties to the Chinese government, CTV News has confirmed.
The RCMP has suspended a controversial contract it had awarded to a Canadian company whose parent organization has ties to the Chinese government, CTV News has confirmed.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s office told CTV News on Thursday that the contract the RCMP inked in October 2021, worth $549,637, with Ontario-based Sinclair Technologies Inc. for radio frequency filters, is now on pause.
Earlier in the day, Mendicino told reporters that the RCMP was "looking very carefully" at the equipment that was installed and going forward there is more rigorous screening when contracts are awarded that may have national security implications.
"Obviously if there were any concerns or if there was any flaws in this process around the contract, then there should be very quick and immediate steps taken to suspend or cancel the contract altogether," he said.
After this contract came to light, the RCMP said the national police force's radio communications were protected with end-to-end encryption and that radio frequency filtration equipment "poses no security concerns nor does it allow access to radio communications."
"The contract was awarded in accordance with Federal Government procurement policies and regulations, and in accordance with the Trade Agreements," the RCMP said on Wednesday.
In a previous statement to CTV News, Sinclair said it is a trusted and independent company. It cited privacy reasons for being unable to comment further.
