Former Alberta health agency CEO says false claims may compromise investigation

An Alberta Health Services sign is pictured outside the Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary, Thursday, March 20, 2025.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

The former head of Alberta’s front-line health agency says she’s aware of misinformation that may compromise a third-party investigation into a multimillion-dollar health contracting scandal.

Athana Mentzelopoulos, once the CEO of Alberta Health Services, filed a lawsuit against the provincial government in February alleging wrongful dismissal.

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She said in a letter Friday that claims are circulating publicly that she was unwilling to meet with retired Manitoba judge Raymond Wyant for an interview in his investigation.

She said the claims are false, but if they came from the select group of people privy to Wyant’s work, they could undermine public trust and compromise the “real and perceived” independence of the probe.

In her letter to Christopher McPherson, the senior civil servant overseeing the investigation, Mentzelopoulos said she expects him to immediately look into the false claims.

“Premier Danielle Smith has repeatedly claimed that Judge Wyant’s work will be free of political interference. It appears that may not be the case,” Mentzelopoulos wrote.

In a written response to Mentzelopoulos, McPherson urged her to raise any concerns she may have about the process to Wyant directly.

“We are unaware of any details respecting any public circulation of information respecting efforts to schedule an interview with you,” he said.

Smith’s United Conservative government gave Wyant parameters for the investigation five months ago. His final report is expected to be made public in mid-October.

It’s one of several investigations sparked after Mentzelopoulos alleged she was fired for looking into sweetheart deals, high-level political interference and corruption in health services contracts.

Alberta’s auditor general and the RCMP are also investigating.

In court documents, the government and AHS allege Mentzelopoulos was fired because she was failing in her job and working to stop mandated health reform.

None of the allegations – from either side – have been proven in court.

In her Friday letter, Mentzelopoulos said she has been waiting since March to hear from Wyant, is open to meeting with him, and that claims to the contrary appear to be an attempt to mislead the public.

She added that her lawyer determined on Thursday that someone in McPherson’s office had recently sent requests for Mentzelopoulos to meet with Wyant. But Mentzelopoulos said the requests were sent to someone who wasn’t in the lawyer’s office, and “no attempts were made to contact anyone else.”

Mentzelopoulos said AHS, along with several people in government, has her personal contact information.

McPherson listed three recent attempts to reach her lawyer via email, with no response, or a bounce-back or out-of-office notice received.

He said he understands that her lawyer has now been in touch with Wyant to schedule her for an interview.

The Opposition NDP, along with two former UCP caucus members sitting as Independent members in the legislature, has called for a judicial-led public inquiry with the power to subpoena witnesses.

NDP house leader Christina Gray said in a statement she’s not shocked at the suggestion political interference may be at play in the Wyant investigation.

“We suspected that former Justice Wyant’s investigation was a carefully orchestrated alternative to a real public inquiry, and now we see the difference,” Gray said.

“While we respect the former justice, it’s clear his work is being hampered and manipulated by this UCP government.”

By Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2025.