CBSA President Says He Was Unaware of Initial ArriveCAN Misconduct Allegations

A smartphone set to the opening screen of the ArriveCan app is seen in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Giordano Ciampini

The former president of the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) says he was not informed about allegations against the developers of COVID-19 vaccination travel app ArriveCAN.

Former CBSA president John Ossowski was one of the senior officials who appeared before the House of Commons government operations committee Oct. 24 to testify about allegations raised by Montreal software firm Botler AI.

“Absolutely not,” Mr. Ossowski, who was president of the CBSA until 2022, replied in response to an MP’s question on whether he was aware of the initial September 2021 misconduct report.

“The agency has told me this matter was not brought to my attention during my tenure as president.”

Mr. Ossowski and other officials have said they were not made aware of the September 2021 report Botler AI co-founders Ritika Dutt and Amir Morv submitted to the agency.

It wasn’t until Botler, which had been performing contract work for the agency, submitted a second report to more senior officials in November 2022 that the CBSA took action.

The CBSA, which was responsible for the ArriveCan system, launched an internal investigation into the matter and referred the matter to the RCMP.

The RCMP is investigating allegations of misconduct against three tech companies, GCStrategies, Dalian Enterprises, and Coradix, which were involved in the app’s creation, the Globe and Mail reported in early October. Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan is also conducting an audit of the app, which is expected to arrive in 2024.

The ArriveCan app was established by the federal government as a COVID-19 vaccination status measure to triage travellers entering Canada. Critics say the app could have been developed for a fraction of its $54-million cost.

Not Aware Who Hired Company to Develop App

Both the president and vice president of the CBSA said that they did not know who made the decision to hire GC Strategies to develop the $54-million ArriveCAN app.

“To my knowledge, I do not know, and it’s part of the investigation that’s currently underway,” said CBSA Vice President and CEO Minh Doan when asked who made the final decision to hire the company.

Conservative MP Garnett Genuis suggested the two men at GC Strategies billed the federal government more than $11 million to “do no work,” and then subcontract the work to other people.

“Why did [government officials] think it was a good idea to give over $11 million to these two guys?” Mr. Genuis asked CBSA President Erin O'Gorman.

“I wasn’t at the agency when they were hired. My understanding is that they had a standing offer that had been completed and established through Public Services and Procurement,” Ms. O'Gorman replied. “And whether I’m using the proper term—a standing offer or a supply arrangement—for staff enhancements that the CBSA and other departments would use.”

When Mr. Genuis asked Mr. Doan who made the decision to hire GC Strategies, he confirmed that it was CBSA, but said the identity of the exact people were being investigated.

“I’m glad the RCMP, and not just you, are investigating,” Mr. Genuis replied.

The co-founders of Botler are expected to appear as witnesses before the committee on Oct. 26.