Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre sent a letter to the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police today, Tuesday, requesting an investigation into the government’s ArriveCAN app during the coronavirus era, a controversial pandemic program.

In his letter to Commissioner Mike Duheme, Poilievre said the recent scathing report of the Auditor General on the matter calls on the national police force to review the file for any possible crimes.

Poilievre said: "I am writing to request that you immediately expand your current criminal investigation to include issues surrounding the government's ArriveCAN request due to findings made by the Auditor General which revealed widespread corruption, mismanagement, and misconduct."

Amid troubling allegations regarding the behavior of some employees at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the RCMP was called last year to review the conduct of "some employees and contractors" working with the agency, according to the Auditor General.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said "the police and the CBSA Professional Integrity Unit are investigating" any alleged violations related to the app, which was used to screen travelers during pandemic-related restrictions.

Trudeau said last year when asked about news reports of mismanagement: "CBSA also launched an internal audit to look at contracting within the agency and has increased oversight efforts when it comes to contracting."

Poilievre expressed his belief that whatever investigation is underway, it should be expanded.

During question period, Poilievre sought assurances that Trudeau would not attempt to obstruct the police.

Trudeau said, "We will of course encourage the police to do their job, adding that it does not require politicians, even opposition leaders, to ask the police to do their work, they are doing their job and doing it well. We will ensure that all rules are followed and that there are consequences for people who violate laws or breach rules."

Poilievre’s request for the RCMP to conduct a larger investigation comes despite the sharp criticisms he directed at them in recent days.

Last week, Trudeau was accused of mismanaging and politicizing the RCMP when he talked about crime in some major cities in Canada.

The police operate at a distance from the current government.

Poilievre said: "We will return the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to fighting organized crime and protecting Canadians from extortion, assassinations, car thefts, human trafficking, and all other crimes that have gotten out of control over the past eight years." "We will fix the RCMP."

Auditor General Karen Hogan reported that the government overpaid for the app and that the CBSA’s handling of the file was completely inappropriate.

The app cost taxpayers about $60 million, a much higher price than initial estimates.

But even this $60 million figure is an estimate, Hogan said, because record-keeping at CBSA was very poor.

Hogan added that both the CBSA and the Public Health Agency of Canada "repeatedly failed to follow good management practices in the contracting, development, and implementation of the ArriveCAN app."

She also raised questions about a potential close relationship between GC Strategies, the company contracted to develop the app, and public servants ultimately responsible for the purchase process.

The Auditor General found that GC Strategies, a private IT recruitment firm, was involved in developing the requirements used later for a competitive contract related to the ArriveCAN app – a contract the company later won.

Poilievre said in his letter to Duheme: "In short, millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted by Trudeau government officials who rigged the contracting process with a favoured company."

Poilievre added: "The app also did not work, with 10,000 Canadians wrongly forced into quarantine, which is completely unacceptable and reeks of corruption at the highest levels."

"There were also serious breaches of the CBSA Code of Conduct, including undisclosed whiskey tastings and lavish dinners paid for by lobbyists and special interests."

He pointed to a Globe and Mail report that said the head of GC Strategies invited key federal officials to an "ArriveCAN Whisky Tasting" to celebrate the first anniversary of the app, and also invited officials to off-site meetings at several breweries and restaurants around Ottawa."

The newspaper reported that invitations to the virtual whiskey tasting event during the pandemic were sent to four CBSA officials, including Cameron MacDonald and Antonio Ottano, who were suspended without pay this month in connection with the CBSA investigation into the app.

At a press conference where she announced the findings on Monday, Hogan confirmed the existence of "emails and invitations" "for online whiskey tastings."

She said: "Anyone who received an invitation, whether they attended the event or not, was to report the invitation to their supervisor."

"The public sector has a code of conduct to ensure that decision-makers are always seen to be doing so in a neutral manner."