The investigation into two construction projects by the same Winnipeg company is coming to a close, according to a statement from the RCMP.
Caspian Construction was hired by the city to build the new Winnipeg Police Headquarters and the Canada Post mail processing plant at 1870 Wellington Ave. The Commercial Crimes Section of the RCMP started their extensive investigation more than two and a half years ago.
READ MORE: RCMP investigating another Caspian Construction project
In December 2014, RCMP executed a search warrant at Caspian Construction head office on McGillivray Boulevard. During that search, 46 boxes and four filing cabinets of documents were seized. RCMP said the investigation has resulted in the review of more than six terabytes of data, 200 thousand emails, interviews with 130 witnesses, and 15 search warrants executed.
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Court documents acquired in February 2016 allege Caspian Construction manipulated documents in order to inflate payments. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
In the documents RCMP Constable Marc Paul Allard states that two witnesses who currently work, or have worked at Caspian in the past provided formation in which, “They detail invoicing and accounting activities that were fraudulent in nature in regards to the construction of the WPH.”
READ MORE: Court documents allege company behind Winnipeg police HQ faked invoices
It also said, “Invoices are said to have been improperly associated to the WPS building when in fact the work was either done at other city properties, private properties, or was not done at all.”
RCMP said they’ve been regularly sending findings from their investigation to the Crown. The final decision to pursue any charges against Caspian Construction lies with the Crown prosecutors.
READ MORE: Canada Post goes to court over Winnipeg mail plant under RCMP investigation
No charges have been laid in the case
The full statement from RCMP issued Friday can be read below:
“The RCMP are near completion of their investigations into the Winnipeg Police Headquarters and the Canada Post Mail Processing Plant. These investigations are very complex in nature and have required interviews with over 130 witnesses. In addition the RCMP have executed at least 15 search warrants and production orders under the Criminal Code. The volume of evidence that has been collected in these investigations has impacted the time required to complete both investigations and disclose the evidence to the Public Prosecution Service.”
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