ArriveCan App Scandal: No Probe, Says Conflict of Interest Commissioner

Conflict of Interest Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein confirmed that his office is not investigating the ArriveCan app scandal, as it’s out of his jurisdiction.

Speaking to MPs at the public accounts committee last Thursday, von Finckenstein stated, “No person subject to the act or the code were involved in this matter, and we have no jurisdiction,” according to the National Post.

Von Finckenstein oversees the conflict of interest act, which applies to public office holders like cabinet ministers and deputy ministers. However, the ongoing investigations involve contractors or lower-level bureaucrats, none of whom fall under his office’s supervision.

Conservative MP Larry Brock criticized the committee for inviting von Finckenstein and wasting time, but committee chair John Williamson said that the invitation was supported by all members.

Last week, government whistleblower Diane Daly, involved in the procurement side of the ArriveCan app told MPs she felt pressured to blame her co-workers, as the scapegoats of the app’s contract selection process.

The ArriveCan app, used during the COVID-19 pandemic for reporting vaccination status (it falsely sent thousands of Canadians into quaratine on the way back home), has been scrutinized for its massively overbudget $60 million cost, with the auditor general unable to verify the final amount due to a lost paper trail.