Alberta’s infrastructure minister is the latest high-profile member of the province’s United Conservative government to speak with RCMP as they investigate allegations of criminal wrongdoing in connection with the 2017 UCP leadership race in which Premier Jason Kenney emerged as the winner.
A spokesperson for the RCMP told Global News on Tuesday that they recently met with Prasad Panda to discuss the allegations of identity fraud playing a factor in the leadership contest. Police did not confirm if Panda himself is the target of any type of criminal investigation.
“Minister Panda spoke briefly with RCMP on this matter,” Panda’s spokesperson, Diane Carter, told Global News in an email.
“They assured him that he is not under investigation.”
Carter said “it would be inappropriate to comment any further while the RCMP’s work continues.”
READ MORE: Calgary UCP candidate issues statement after RCMP raid on his business
Watch below: (From April 12, 2019) A Calgary United Conservative Party candidate issued a statement to declare his innocence on Friday night in response to a police raid on his business.
“This is a government that isn’t being transparent with Albertans,” NDP justice critic Kathleen Ganley said in a statement.
“For months now, we have had the government telling Albertans that this investigation is just idle Twitter gossip,” Ganley’s statement went on to say.
“We now have two ministers who have been interviewed by the RCMP about a voter fraud scandal involving the premier sitting around the cabinet table.
“Yet they arrogantly maintain that because they won an election they do not owe Albertans any sort of explanation.”
READ MORE: Alberta attorney general questioned by RCMP about 2017 UCP leadership race
In May, the RCMP questioned Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer as part of their investigation.
Late last month, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service announced it was seeking a prosecutor to help advise police as they look into the campaign.
READ MORE: Alberta Crown seeking special prosecutor to assist with UCP leadership race investigation
Watch below: (From May 30, 2019) Alberta is seeking a special outside prosecutor to assist the RCMP as they look into whether fraud was committed in the UCP leadership race won by Jason Kenney.
The 2017 leadership race has been tainted by allegations of voter fraud. Alberta’s election commissioner has also levied multiple fines in connection with wrongdoing related to campaign donations made to Jeff Callaway’s leadership campaign.
Callaway’s campaign has been under close scrutiny because of allegations his bid was a “kamikaze campaign” intended to go after Kenney’s primary rival, Brian Jean. Callaway eventually dropped out of the race and threw his support behind Kenney.
Emails obtained by Global News earlier this year show ongoing communication between the Kenney and Callaway campaigns throughout much of the race. They suggest Kenney staffers provided strategic direction, attack ads, speaking notes, speeches and media support to the Callaway campaign.
READ MORE: 2nd fine in 1 week issued in relation to Jeff Callaway’s UCP leadership bid
“There was staff communicating on communications material and stuff like that,” Kenney told Global News Radio in March, while speaking about his campaign staff’s dealings with members of Callaway’s leadership campaign. “This is not the least bit unusual that campaigns will communicate.”
Kenney has also vehemently denied that he helped to finance Callaway’s campaign in any way.
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