Continuing RCMP probe into GTH is not good news for anyone

For those thinking there is good news for the Saskatchewan Party government in the RCMP having to do more investigation into the Global Transportation Hub and other matters, let us define what good news would be.

Good news for both the Saskatchewan Party government and the public would be an RCMP declaration that there is no longer any reason to pursue the matter.

It would be wonderful news for all of us if Manitoba’s justice ministry, which has completed its review of the Saskatchewan RCMP investigation into the GTH land transactions, had recommended that there was absolutely no reason to suspect any criminality. (Really, do any of us have anything to gain by one day receiving confirmation of wrongdoing?)

For now though, according to an RCMP statement issued Friday, “While Manitoba Prosecution Service was reviewing the file, RCMP investigators determined there was further investigation required, therefore, we continue to actively investigate this matter.”

Obviously, those in professional policing and/or a prosecution capacity made the decision there is valid reason to consider this matter further.

Good news would be that the messy question of criminality was left behind us all and we never again have to hear Justice/ GTH Minister Don Morgan say he can’t comment on a matter of wasted tax dollars because it is under police investigation.

This would obviously be great news for Premier Scott Moe’s administration, which inherited the mess from former premier Brad Wall and has since struggled with providing accountability.

Good news would be we are moving forward on why we overpaid for GTH land.

Instead, we got the bad news the RCMP investigation continues.

Had something different emerged from Manitoba prosecutions and the RCMP, perhaps governing politicians could now — as Moe suggested he might do during the Sask. Party leadership race this winter — consider “further action with respect to ensuring transparency and accountability” that could include “the possibility of a public inquiry.”

However, we are nowhere close to an audit or inquiry. We can’t even yet determine whether we are dealing with a much more serious matter of criminality.

Yes, it remains unclear whether or not Manitoba prosecutions’ review has recommended charges be laid.

The only thing we can now be certain of is that the RCMP investigation is ongoing, that the police can’t provide any additional details and would advise “the public of the results of the investigation once it is complete.”

But understand the significance of all this.

Two years after the RCMP first received public complaints in April 2016 regarding the GTH land deal that saw two businessmen with Saskatchewan Party connections make $6-million and $5-million profits by selling land under government expropriation, the RCMP still sees the need for more investigation.

This decision came eight months after the file was handed over to Manitoba prosecutions in September.

Each and every day, the RCMP must make tough decisions on the allotment of limited resources. One suspects such resource allocation decisions are especially tough in commercial crimes, where investigations would be complicated and timeconsuming.

It stands to reason that the RCMP — especially its administrators who would have to account, internally, for the expenditure of its resources — would not take any decision to continue any matter lightly. After all, one presumes the reason the RCMP handed the matter over to Manitoba prosecutions eight months earlier was to determine whether this investigation should be further pursued or not.

Finally, it is interesting that all this came to light as a result of a written response from Manitoba’s assistant deputy attorney general to the “Sask. Highway Robbery” group that’s mainly focused on the Regina bypass project.

It shows how messy this entire matter is.

The bad news is that the GTH will remain a mess for awhile yet.