During his testimony at the Gallant Commission, former SAAQ VP Karl Malenfant asserted that SAP did not receive any undue advantage in securing a $438 million contract, refuting claims of favoritism towards the German company.
Malenfant expressed dissatisfaction with the commission’s prosecutor, Alexandre Thériault-Marois, accusing him of drawing misleading conclusions despite the evidence presented. Emails revealed Malenfant’s intention for his teams to become familiar with SAP products through free training sessions.
Acknowledging SAP’s vested interest in the SAAQ’s system modernization, Malenfant clarified that SAP’s involvement was not charitable. Consultant Louise Savoie highlighted SAP’s reservations about the SAAQ’s procurement process in an email to Malenfant, suggesting a shift towards quality-centric evaluations over the traditional “lowest bidder” approach.
In response, Malenfant urged SAP to have faith in future collaborations, hinting at strategic attachments within the SAAQ hierarchy and the Treasury Board. The competitive bidding process for the contract involved two consortiums, with SAP participating in both, as confirmed by Thériault-Marois.
Malenfant’s testimony is set to continue in the afternoon session.
