Alberta’s addictions minister is rejecting ideas he is aware of a former authorities staffer now on the centre of a lawsuit alleging high-level political interference and favouritism in multimillion-dollar well being contracts.
Dan Williams, answering questions from reporters Tuesday, denied realizing Jitendra Prasad.
“To my data, I’ve by no means met (him),” he mentioned at an unrelated information convention on the legislature.
Williams was requested about his involvement after he was talked about twice in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed two weeks in the past by Athana Mentzelopoulos, the previous head of Alberta Health Services.
AHS delivers front-line care however its function is being sharply lowered amid health-care restructuring.
Menztelopoulos is searching for $1.7 million in damages and again pay, alleging she was fired final month for investigating profitable, beneficial contracts that got to sure personal surgical procedure operators and pushed for by high-level political officers.
The go well with alleges conflicts of curiosity involving Prasad, a former authorities worker who labored in procurement.
File photograph of Jitendra Prasad, former Alberta Well being Companies chief program officer for contracting, procurement and provide administration, talking at a COVID-19 information convention within the Edmonton Federal Constructing on Monday, April 20, 2020.
Credit score: Chris Schwarz/Authorities of Alberta
Prasad, Mentzelopoulos alleges in her assertion of declare, labored in procurement for AHS and concurrently had an electronic mail account with MHCare Medical.
Get weekly well being information
Obtain the most recent medical information and well being data delivered to you each Sunday.
MHCare is a non-public health-care firm that was contracted in 2022 for an order of $70 million in kids’s ache remedy amid a provincewide scarcity. Solely 30 per cent of the contract has been fulfilled and AHS stopped utilizing the remedy over security considerations.
Not one of the allegations have been confirmed in courtroom. Williams shouldn’t be named as a defendant within the lawsuit.
The lawsuit consists of feedback reportedly made by Williams’ deputy minister, who’s the highest civil servant within the ministry.
Based on the assertion of declare, the deputy minister advised Mentzelopoulos in a January cellphone name that Williams was “very involved” in regards to the inner investigations, together with one involving “our good good friend JP,” with JP being a reference to Prasad.
Williams mentioned Tuesday, “I can’t communicate to the language that my deputy minister utilized in that cellphone name,” in reference to his deputy calling Prasad “our good good friend.”
“I assume it’s tongue-in-cheek, however I can let you know, to my data, I’ve by no means met (Prasad) and I might not think about him a good friend.”
Williams mentioned his concern revolved across the potential misuse of public {dollars}, and never with who was being investigated. He added that his deputy minister discovered there was no proof of wrongdoing in his ministry.
Williams additionally mentioned he met MHCare Medical proprietor Sam Mraiche at a dinner two years in the past, however mentioned the 2 didn’t focus on enterprise.
Prasad couldn’t be reached for remark.
Premier Danielle Smith has launched an inner inquiry into the procurement allegations and is searching for an impartial third occasion to take the lead. The province’s auditor basic can be investigating.
Williams mentioned he’ll depend on the outcomes of an investigation by the auditor basic to determine whether or not to analyze procurement in his ministry.
Williams’ feedback come on the identical day Alberta Infrastructure Minister Peter Guthrie quit his cabinet post citing concerns with how Smith’s authorities has dealt with procurement contracts.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Source link