The RCMP have confirmed they are investigating at MHCare Medical in northwest Edmonton. Multiple unmarked police vehicles, and at least one marked vehicle, were seen outside the store early Thursday morning. Officers could also be seen going in and out of the building. The CEO of the Edmonton-based medical supplier, Sam Mraiche, was named multiple times in a lawsuit filed by the former CEO of Alberta Health Services over government supply contracts. The federal branch of the RCMP says there is no threat to public safety and is not releasing any other details. When Official Opposition and NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi asked Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in question period later that morning whether the police action would mean she’d take the matter seriously and apologize, Smith referred to the findings of a former judge. “It is very clear that there were irregularities within Alberta Health Services in how they were managing procurement contracts, how they were dealing with conflicts of interest, how they were dealing with oversight, how they were dealing with having a second set of eyes and legal review is part of the reason, Mr. Speaker, why we have moved that procurement function into an oversight by the deputy minister of the executive council, so that we can have standardized contracts and make sure that this never happens again in any department.” Her office declined to comment further.
