Individual charged with rigging bids for real estate services

An Ottawa businessman has been charged with rigging bids for real estate advisory services for the federal government.  Mr. Louis Facchini, carrying on business as First Porter Consultancy, was charged with bid rigging under the Competition Act as well as fraud under the Criminal Code for allegedly submitting a false invoice with a value exceeding $5,000 to Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).

In July 2012, Corporate Research Group Ltd. (CRG) pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of bid-rigging for federal government contracts for real estate advisory services in Canada, and was fined $125,000 on July 30, 2012. CRG cooperated with the Bureau’s investigation and the Bureau recommended that CRG receive lenient treatment in return.