The theft of $11 million in pandemic relief aid was due to the Ontario government’s incompetence, not any “conspiracy,” insists the bureaucrat fired over the alleged fraud. Sanjay Madan, who was the information technology leader on the Support for Families COVID-19 aid program, said in his statement of defence filed Thursday that it’s the province’s fault money went missing. “There was … widespread misappropriation of Support for Families program money,” says the eight-page document prepared by lawyer Christopher Du Vernet. Court documents allege they received millions in “secret commissions” in exchange for hiring contractors and subcontractors on ministry IT projects. Madan, who holds Canadian and Indian passports, even though India does not permit dual citizenship, also owns two villas in Hyderabad, India.

Source: thestar March 12, 2021 00:11 UTC