Engineering Firm Paying Penalty in Canadian Bid-Rigging Case
The settlement takes into account factors that include Dessau's participation in the government of Quebec's Voluntary Reimbursement Program, which was designed to recover amounts improperly paid as a result of fraudulent tactics in connection with public contracts, and also takes into account the fact that Dessau is no longer in operation and has begun a process to dissolve the company.
Dessau, an engineering firm, will pay $1.9 million as part of a settlement of bid-rigging allegations on municipal infrastructure contracts in Quebec from 2003 to 2011. Canada's Competition Bureau announced Feb. 19 that the payment is part of a settlement filed with the Superior Court of Quebec that concludes the bureau's investigation of Dessau's role in a bid-rigging conspiracy that targeted contracts in the cities of Québec, Laval, and Gatineau, as well as certain municipalities in the Montreal region.
The settlement takes into account factors that include Dessau's participation in the government of Quebec's Voluntary Reimbursement Program, which was designed to recover amounts improperly paid as a result of fraudulent tactics in connection with public contracts, and also takes into account the fact that Dessau is no longer in operation and has begun a process to dissolve the company.
The bureau's ongoing investigation has also resulted in charges against four individuals in connection with bid-rigging on city of Gatineau infrastructure contracts, including a former executive at Dessau who has since pleaded guilty and received a one-year conditional sentence.
"This resolution makes sure that Dessau takes responsibility for its actions. Cracking down on bid-rigging is a top priority and we will continue to pursue all those who participate in these criminal schemes," said Matthew Boswell, interim commissioner of Competition.