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Canada: Public Works’ decision suggests no more leniency for bid-riggers

By  |  November 19, 2012

Ottawa’s Public Works has reportedly banned CRG Consulting, one of the city’s top contractors, from making any future bids on contracts and may lose existing bids due to CRG’s history of bid-rigging. CRG pleaded guilty to bid-rigging in July. From now on, according to a Public Works announcement, CRG will need to receive a pardon from the government to enter into bidding or receive bids on future projects. Most of CRG’s contracts have been with Public Works, and the company operates hundreds of consulting firms who sell advice to the government. The decision from Public Works represents a shift in attitudes towards bid-riggers; previously, companies who cooperated with investigations were given leniency from prosecution. CRG pleaded guilty to bid-rigging in order to win half of a $5.25 million real estate contract in 2007 in a case initiated by the Competition Bureau.

Full Content: Ottawa Citizen

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