Family disavows knowledge of civil servant’s $11M scheme

TORONTO — A former senior civil servant accused of embezzling $11 million in Ontario COVID-19 relief money betrayed his own family, according to his wife and two sons.

In sworn affidavits, the wife of Sanjay Madan and their two adult sons disavow any knowledge of his alleged scheme, which is now the subject of an unproven civil action against them all.

According to his affidavit, Chinmaya Madan said he became suspicious of his father around June last year after discovering unexplained money in his bank accounts, some of which he didn’t know existed. Only after repeated questioning did his father admit to having “diverted” money and promise to return it, the affidavit states.

“I felt betrayed by my father,” Chinmaya Madan said in the document filed in Superior Court. “I was and remain absolutely shocked by the allegations.”

The Ontario government’s unproven civil claim names Sanjay Madan, who had a senior IT role and helped develop a computer application for the COVID-19 benefit for families with children. Also named are his sons Chinmaya Madan and Ujjawal Madan, and his wife of 28 years, Shalini Madan.

The claim alleges the Madan family, who all worked for the government in information technology, defrauded the province of at least $11 million.

The claim asserts the family and others illegally issued and deposited cheques under the program aimed at defraying the cost of children learning at home. The province alleges the Madans opened hundreds of accounts between April and May 2020, then deposited around 10,000 cheques made out to fictitious applicants.