Alberta puts contracts on hold amid allegations of widespread corruption in private surgeries [Video]

Alberta’s front-line health provider says it will stop awarding contracts to firms at the centre of an auditor’s investigation into what the Opposition NDP calls unprecedented allegations of corruption surrounding health procurement contracts and sweetheart deals for private surgery providers.

Alberta Health Services announced the change Thursday in a statement.

It comes a day after the Globe and Mail newspaper published excerpts of a letter from a former AHS leader detailing the allegations of corruption, arm-twisting and conflicts of interests reaching the highest levels of Premier Danielle Smith’s government.

Alberta’s auditor general Doug Wylie said he’s looking into contract and procurement processes and his probe may extend beyond AHS and the health department.

AHS said it’s conducting a review of its procurement procedures related to the matters raised by its former CEO.

“In the interim, we have paused the awarding of any contracts involving the parties that are involved in that review. Until this review …