Latest news with #UPAC
Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
UPAC searches Quebec auto insurance board in connection with SAAQclic scandal
By La Presse Canadienne Quebec anticorruption police searched the headquarters of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec on Wednesday in connection with the SAAQclic scandal. 'We can confirm today that we are conducting a search in the SAAQclic case. We will not be giving any details about this in order to protect our investigation,' the Unité permanente anticorruption (UPAC) said in a statement to Presse Canadienne. 'Generally speaking, a search in a fraud or corruption investigation is used to obtain evidence that will allow us to confirm or deny the commission of wrongdoing. The seized documents must then be analyzed and may then require witness interviews.' Premier François Legault said Wednesday the situation at the SAAQ and recent testimony at the Gallant Commission investigating the SAAQclic scandal is 'worrying.' The premier continued to refuse to reiterate his confidence in SAAQ CEO Éric Ducharme. 'I think we have to wait for the final report,' Legault said. 'He hasn't given his testimony yet, so let's let him explain. What's important is to get to the bottom of things.' In a statement, the SAAQ said it is 'fully co-operating with the ongoing investigation and will not comment further in order to respect the work of the authorities and preserve the integrity of the process.' UPAC's search came as former SAAQ CEO Denis Marsolais testified before the Gallant Commission. UPAC has been investigating SAAQclic since February. The pressure is mounting on Ducharme because of testimony before the Gallant Commission. In an open letter published in Le Soleil on Wednesday, he wrote: 'The investigation conducted by the Commission of Inquiry into the management of the modernization of the SAAQ's IT systems is a necessary step to provide a comprehensive assessment of our digital transition and its impact on our customers and partners. We reiterate our commitment to working with this body to complete the process and shed full light on past events.' Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault indicated that she had written to UPAC twice. 'I wanted to make them aware of the scandalous nature of everything that was being said and everything that appears to have happened at the SAAQ,' she said Wednesday. 'This morning, I see that they are operating at the SAAQ headquarters. So, seeing institutions doing their job is always reassuring.' This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 11:06 AM.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Quebec's anti-corruption squad raids SAAQ headquarters
Quebec's anti-corruption squad is conducting a raid at the head office of the province's automobile insurance board in connection with its investigation into the SAAQclic fiasco. The investigative squad, known by its French acronym UPAC, has been investigating the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) since the end of February. The SAAQ's headquarters are located on Jean-Lesage Boulevard in Quebec City. On Wednesday morning. it confirmed operation was underway in a brief statement sent to Radio-Canada. UPAC said it won't provide any other information. "We won't go any further in order to not compromise the collection of information, protect the integrity of the evidence as well as the safety and reputation of the people who could may be involved," the statement reads. In 2023, the automobile insurance board rolled out its online platform, SAAQclic. The rollout of the new service was chaotic and sparked a customer crisis. It also led to a report by the auditor general, which revealed that the SAAQclic project was $500 million over budget. Since April, the issues with the SAAQclic rollout have been the subject of a public inquiry. According to Radio-Canada sources, about 20 UPAC officers took part in Wednesday's operation. In a brief statement of its own on Wednesday, the SAAQ said that it was "fully co-operating" with UPAC's ongoing investigation. Shortly after the $500-million cost overrun became public, a Coalition Avenir Québec minister stepped down.
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Quebec's anti-corruption squad raids SAAQ headquarters
Social Sharing Quebec's anti-corruption squad is conducting a raid at the head office of the province's automobile insurance board in connection with its investigation into the SAAQclic fiasco. The investigative squad, known by its French acronym UPAC, has been investigating the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) since the end of February. The SAAQ's headquarters are located on Jean-Lesage Boulevard in Quebec City. On Wednesday morning. it confirmed operation was underway in a brief statement sent to Radio-Canada. UPAC said it won't provide any other information. "We won't go any further in order to not compromise the collection of information, protect the integrity of the evidence as well as the safety and reputation of the people who could may be involved," the statement reads. In 2023, the automobile insurance board rolled out its online platform, SAAQclic. The rollout of the new service was chaotic and sparked a customer crisis. It also led to a report by the auditor general, which revealed that the SAAQclic project was $500 million over budget. Since April, the issues with the SAAQclic rollout have been the subject of a public inquiry. According to Radio-Canada sources, about 20 UPAC officers took part in Wednesday's operation. In a brief statement of its own on Wednesday, the SAAQ said that it was "fully co-operating" with UPAC's ongoing investigation.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec anti-corruption unit conducting searches at SAAQ
Poster for the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) in Montreal, May 7, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) Quebec's anti-corruption unit (UPAC) is conducting searches Wednesday morning at the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) head office in Quebec City. The SAAQ states that it is 'cooperating fully' with the ongoing investigation. As such, it says it will not comment further 'in order to respect the work of the authorities and preserve the integrity of the process.' More to come.
CBC
06-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Quebec's anti-corruption unit reveals it's been investigating SAAQclic debacle for months
Quebec's anti-corruption unit, known as UPAC, announced on Thursday it has been investigating the chaotic rollout of SAAQclic for more than three months. The unit had been analyzing the available information surrounding Quebec's automobile insurance board's failed digital shift but would not confirm whether it had initiated an investigation. The anti-corruption commissioner, who co-ordinates UPAC's operations, confirmed the news of the investigation in a news release Thursday. Given the "exceptional circumstances" surrounding the issue and after having studied the scathing report by the province's auditor general, the commissioner said the team launched an investigation at the end of February into "possible wrongdoing in the management of the CASA/SAAQclic IT project." Mathieu Galarneau, spokesperson for the commissioner, indicated in the statement that no further details on the ongoing investigation would be provided. The rollout of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ)'s digital platform is also being investigated by the Gallant commission — a public inquiry presided over by Denis Gallant, which began on April 24. So far, there have been several revelations, including a fourfold increase in the hourly rates of consultants. A former internal auditor at the SAAQ also told the inquiry that several people who won calls for tenders for "strategic resources" had professional ties with Karl Malenfant, the former vice-president of the SAAQ's digital experience and the project director for CASA. François Geoffrion, who sat on the SAAQ's board of directors from 2013 to 2022, told the commission the board knew that the digital transformation project was "risky" and had "all the flaws." At the end of May, Jérôme Verreault, a former financial controller at SAAQclic, explained to Gallant and his team that payment delays were "exploding" and the SAAQ even received "notices of termination of services" from its suppliers. The public inquiry will continue throughout the summer.
