Report into Alberta Health Services contracts finds conflicts widely known

University of Alberta Hospital file photo. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton)

A final report into allegations of corruption in Alberta health contracts says it was widely known two staffers were in “real or perceived” conflicts of interest but no steps were taken by senior health officials.

Former Manitoba judge Raymond Wyant writes in the report that his investigation was limited in getting to the bottom of the scandal involving multimillion-dollar Alberta Health Services deals for pain medication and private surgical providers.

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Wyant says he found no evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Premier Danielle Smith, her ministers or other political staff.

But he says limited powers afforded to him mean he can’t make any definitive statements.

“That only means that I found no evidence of such,” he says in the report, released Friday. “I can only make conclusions based on the documents I was able to review and the people I interviewed.”

Wyant makes 18 recommendations for the Alberta government and health agencies, including improving conflict and procurement policies and better whistleblower protection.

The investigation stemmed from allegations in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed by a former chief executive officer of Alberta’s provincial health authority. Smith’s government ordered the investigation in March.

Wyant interviewed 26 people for his investigation, including a businessman at the heart of some of the allegations and the two staffers found in conflict, Jitendra Prasad and Blayne Iskiw.

“The situations ... where both Mr. Prasad and Mr. Iskiw were in real or perceived conflicts of interest, were widely known by many people at AHS, and yet no steps were taken by senior officials to deal with the situation with either person,” Wyant writes.

“Most people seemed to have assumed that those in charge were aware of and had dealt with (or were dealing with) these matters, but this does not appear to have been the case.

“This demonstrates the need for having processes that would allow people to bring matters such as this to the attention of others without fear.”

Neither Smith, nor her current chief of staff, nor any of her ministers or her former health minister were among those interviewed.

Because the investigation was not a public inquiry, Wyant says some refused interviews and avoided answering certain questions.

“Because there was not the kind of vigorous examination and cross-examination that would take place in a formal setting, I could not come to conclusions on the credibility of information provided verbally by interviewees.”

Wyant says he felt many tried to tell the truth, but he was given the impression that some weren’t providing “complete information.”

Smith, in a statement, said the report “clearly indicated” elected officials, senior staff and members of the public service acted appropriately.

However, she said she’s “deeply disappointed with the way these procurements and contracts were dealt with by AHS decision makers and some of its employees,” said Smith.

The premier said she’s directed her top bureaucrat, Dale McFee, to work with the government ministries involved to implement Wyant’s recommendations.

By Lisa Johnson and Jack Farrell

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2025.

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