No charges in P.E.I.'s e-gaming initiative, RCMP say

The RCMP will not be laying criminal charges after concluding their investigation into the P.E.I. government's 2009-12 e-gaming initiative.

"After an extensive investigation into allegations in relation to what was known as e-gaming, including conducting over 50 interviews, there was no evidence of criminality, or grounds to lay any charges," Staff-Sgt. Kevin Baillie said in an e-mail to CBC Wednesday.

A lawsuit by Capital Markets Technologies is still proceeding, however. CMT is suing the government and others, including former premier Robert Ghiz, for $50 million.

CMT is seeking damages over dealings with the provincial government regarding attempts to set up a financial service centre to process online transactions. The company accuses government of "breach of its good faith performance of contract and failure to act honestly in the performance of its contractual obligations."

AG critical in report

The company's allegations stem from a memorandum of understanding signed between government anda subsidiary of CMT in July of 2012. Efforts to set up a financial services centre in the province came in the wake ofthe province's failed attempt to establish itself as a regulator for online gambling, according to Auditor General Jane MacAdam's October 2016 report on the subject.

MacAdam's report said P.E.I. government's failed initiative to regulate e-gaming from 2009-12 included actions that demonstrated a lack of "regard for transparency and accountability."

A few weeks after the report, P.E.I.'s NDP delivered an official criminal complaint to the RCMP.

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