The Court did not buy the agency;'s claims. I think the government should not fund any "agencies" and let the free market operate in immigrant services.
Peel immigrant agency loses lawsuit - thestar.com
Peel immigrant agency loses lawsuit
October 31, 2011
Nicholas Keung
A Peel immigrant settlement agency shut down amid allegations of financial mismanagement has lost a lawsuit it filed against the federal government.
In an order issued last week, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed a motion by the Inter-Cultural Neighbourhood Social Services to proceed with a $12-million lawsuit against Citizenship and Immigration Canada and two government officials, alleging negligence and breach of duty.
It was a setback for the Mississauga-based agency, which closed in 2009 after immigration officials terminated its annual $5 million funding. The group provided language, employment and referral services to 40,000 immigrants a year.
Justice Robert Spence ordered the agency pay $7,500 in legal costs and ruled that the government could proceed with a counterclaim it had subsequently filed against the plaintiff.
An immigration spokesperson said Monday the department is “pleased” with the decision and will proceed to recoup $227,000 in overpayments previously made to the agency.
“ICNSS was given the opportunity to respond to many concerns expressed over several years with unexplained inconsistencies in its financial reporting, but did not provide satisfactory responses,” the department said in a statement.
“When the concerns were not addressed, the government decided not to enter into new agreements.”
The agency’s board filed the lawsuit against the immigration department in 2010, alleging that it halted its funding based on “unsubstantiated and incredible allegations” in anonymous letters and which the government never properly investigated before terminating its funding.
Officials with ICNSS could not be reached for comment.
No comments:
Post a Comment