Quebec's anti-corruption squad raids SAAQ headquarters
Raid connected to UPAC's investigation into SAAQclic spending
Quebec's anti-corruption squad is conducting a raid at the head office of the province's automobile insurance board in connection with its investigation into the SAAQclic fiasco.
The investigative squad, known by its French acronym UPAC, has been investigating the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) since the end of February.
The SAAQ's headquarters are located on Jean-Lesage Boulevard in Quebec City.
On Wednesday morning. it confirmed operation was underway in a brief statement sent to Radio-Canada. UPAC said it won't provide any other information.
"We won't go any further in order to not compromise the collection of information, protect the integrity of the evidence as well as the safety and reputation of the people who could may be involved," the statement reads.
In 2023, the automobile insurance board rolled out its online platform, SAAQclic. The rollout of the new service was chaotic and sparked a customer crisis.
It also led to a report by the auditor general, which revealed that the SAAQclic project was $500 million over budget. Since April, the issues with the SAAQclic rollout have been the subject of a public inquiry.
According to Radio-Canada sources, about 20 UPAC officers took part in Wednesday's operation.
In a brief statement of its own on Wednesday, the SAAQ said that it was "fully co-operating" with UPAC's ongoing investigation.
Shortly after the $500-million cost overrun became public, a Coalition Avenir Québec minister stepped down.
Written by Antoni Nerestant