Police investigating Randy Boissonnault’s former company, business partner

As calls equine for Liberal furniture curate Randy Boissonnault to resign implicit conflicting claims astir his family’s Indigenous heritage, Global News has learned Edmonton police are investigating an allegation of fraud made against Boissonnault’s erstwhile institution and concern partner.

Michael Weber, a Florida-based lawyer who is the ineligible counsel for aesculapian proviso procurement institution 4M Medical LLC, said helium submitted a constabulary study connected July 31 regarding 4M Medical’s failed transaction with Global Health Imports.

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) confirmed that the ailment is nether investigation.

Boissonnault co-founded aesculapian proviso institution Global Health Imports (GHI) with Stephen Anderson, a erstwhile hockey coach, successful aboriginal 2020.

The Edmonton Centre MP said helium resigned from the institution aft helium was re-elected and appointed to furniture successful the autumn of 2021. He remained a 50-per cent shareholder successful the institution until June, erstwhile helium surrendered his stake.

Boissonnault distanced himself from the embattled aesculapian proviso institution pursuing Global News investigations that revealed GHI’s ineligible troubles and text messages Anderson sent successful 2022 telling clients helium was consulting idiosyncratic named ‘Randy’ connected concern deals.

Boissonnault is not named successful immoderate of the lawsuits and helium denies helium is the idiosyncratic Anderson is referring to successful the substance messages.

Weber said successful a connection to Global News helium provided constabulary with the aforesaid accusation that was precocious filed successful court.

In those filings, Weber alleges GHI and Anderson fraudulently induced him to nonstop a $350,000 deposit for a ample shipment of aesculapian gloves that GHI ne'er delivered. The refundable deposit 4M Medical sent successful October 2022 was not returned, Weber states successful tribunal documents.

Boissonnault “has ne'er been contacted by Edmonton Police oregon immoderate different instrumentality enforcement bureau regarding Global Health Imports oregon Mr. Anderson,” Boissonnault’s manager of communications, Alice Hansen, said successful an emailed statement.

In the autumn of 2022, erstwhile Weber and Anderson were corresponding astir the sale, Boissonnault owned 50 per cent of GHI.

The caller tribunal evidence, reported by Global News past week, included caller substance messages Anderson sent to Weber successful September 2022 saying helium was consulting ‘Randy’ astir the $3.45-million woody betwixt GHI and 4M Medical.

The curate maintains helium has had thing to bash with the institution since his resignation and, for weeks, has accused Anderson of utilizing his sanction without his consent.

“If Mr. Anderson is utilizing my name, without my knowledge, which I ne'er gave him support to do, past helium should stock that with the committee,” Boissonnault said astatine a property league successful Vaughan past week.

The caller tribunal grounds spurred the House morals committee to re-open its survey into whether Boissonnault broke national laws by being progressive successful a backstage concern portion successful office.

Conservative MPs person ramped up calls for Boissonnault to measurement down amid the caller ‘Randy’ texts and Boissonnault’s conflicting claims astir his family’s Indigenous ancestry.

“Any 1 of these things would beryllium a resigning offence. Why won’t helium resign now?” Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre said successful the House of Commons connected Monday.

Hansen said Boissonnault had antecedently referred to himself arsenic a “non-status adopted Cree” but helium has ne'er claimed to beryllium Indigenous.

Last week, Boissonnault apologized for not being much cautious astir however helium characterized his family’s ancestry, adding helium was inactive learning astir it.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said connected Tuesday helium inactive had assurance successful Boissonnault, who is presently curate of employment, workforce improvement and authoritative languages.

“I’m blessed that helium is continuing to pb connected issues astir jobs and employment and correspond Alberta successful our government,” Trudeau said astatine the closing property league for the G20 summit.

Anderson, who is the main operating serviceman of GHI, is facing allegations successful tribunal that helium defrauded 2 U.S. companies retired of astir $850,000 successful total.

Anderson denies the allegations of fraud, which stay unproven successful court.

Neither Anderson nor his lawyer responded to Global News’ requests for remark by deadline.

The Ghaoui Group, a California-based company, sued GHI, Anderson, and Anderson’s different company, Global Healthcare Solutions (GHS), successful May 2023.

Two months later, it was awarded a $7.3-million default judgement successful that lawsuit erstwhile nary defence was filed. The Ghaoui Group besides received a partial judgement for astir $500,000 to beryllium paid by Anderson directly.

The lawsuit presently is nether a enactment bid from a judge. Anderson is trying to get some judgments acceptable speech due to the fact that helium said helium was unaware of the suit until December 2023, erstwhile helium discovered his slope accounts were being garnished, according to his statements successful tribunal documents.

The Ghaoui Group is besides suing Anderson and 2 GHI employees successful a 2nd suit filed successful April alleging civilian fraud. All 3 contradict the allegations.

Weber’s affidavit was filed successful enactment of some of The Ghaoui Group’s lawsuits.

Malvina Ghaoui, main of The Ghaoui Group, besides filed a constabulary study with Edmonton constabulary successful March regarding her company’s failed transaction with GHI.

Similar to Weber, Ghaoui’s institution enactment down a $500,000 deposit connected a ample shipment of aesculapian gloves that ne'er arrived. That deposit, sent successful September 2022, was besides not returned successful full, The Ghaoui Group alleged successful tribunal documents.

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Edmonton constabulary said it investigated Ghaoui’s complaint, but nary arrests were made, and nary charges were laid. The probe remains suspended pending the receipt of caller information.

Weber’s constabulary study is “not capable to re-open this investigation,” EPS spokesperson Carolin Maran said successful a connection without elaborating.

The constabulary serviceman handling Ghaoui’s complaint, Const. Justin Cook, wrote to Ghaoui connected April 10 telling her Anderson told him helium had “paid the deposit back,” emails obtained by Global News show.

A period later, successful his sworn affidavit dated May 22, Anderson told a antithetic story.

In tribunal documents, Anderson said that arsenic a effect of an arson occurrence astatine GHI’s Edmonton warehouse that “crippled” his business, helium could lone instrumentality $10,000 to The Ghaoui Group.

The EPS did not corroborate nor contradict Cook’s email to Ghaoui. Maran did not respond to questions regarding whether it is investigating what appears to beryllium a mendacious connection Anderson allegedly made to constabulary astir returning the deposit.

The EPS had antecedently investigated the arson occurrence acceptable astatine GHI’s warehouse successful September 2022. That probe besides remains suspended pending caller information. No charges oregon arrests were made successful that lawsuit arsenic well.

“I tin corroborate that each 3 incidental reports person been cross-referenced by investigators. The EPS cautions against drafting conclusions that constabulary investigations person been incapable to confirm,” Maran wrote successful a statement.

Ghaoui said she is “deeply concerned” by the decision reached by EPS successful her case.

“It seems that the grounds — peculiarly the hard grounds I presented — was not afloat considered successful the last assessment,” Ghaoui said successful a statement.

Dan Jones, a erstwhile Edmonton constabulary inspector and seat of justness studies astatine NorQuest College, told Global News constabulary should beryllium connecting Ghaoui and Weber’s complaints.

“Cross-referencing is 1 thing, but what they should beryllium doing is looking for imaginable linkages,” helium said.

Jones said, successful general, investigating fraud is difficult, and astir section constabulary departments deficiency the capableness to instrumentality connected each case.

However, helium said helium thinks the allegations made against Anderson and GHI warrant a deeper look.

Boissonnault has been called backmost to testify earlier the morals committee for a 3rd clip alongside 2 GHI employees and Ghaoui. No day has been acceptable for those hearings.

MPs did not invitation Anderson backmost to Ottawa to attest aft respective members said they recovered him to beryllium an unreliable witnesser during his July appearance.

Anderson told MPs during that proceeding each 9 ‘Randy’ references successful substance messages were the effect of an “auto-correct error,” but refused to disclose who helium was referring to. He besides admitted to initially lying to Global News astir the individuality of ‘Randy.’

Anderson is expected to look a question to beryllium recovered successful contempt of Parliament for refusing to reply questions and crook implicit documents ordered by the committee earlier this summer.