Alberta's request to question fired health executive over confidential emails granted

A judge has granted Alberta's government its request to question the former head of the provincial health authority about confidential emails she is accused of keeping and sharing without permission.

It's the latest development in a high-profile lawsuit launched by Athana Mentzelopoulos, the former chief executive of Alberta Health Services. Mentzelopoulos is suing the government and AHS for wrongful dismissal, alleging she was illegally fired to stop her from investigating sweetheart deals and political interference in multimillion-dollar health procurement contracts. The government filed for an injunction last month after discovering that Mentzelopoulos sent herself nearly a dozen emails in January the day before she was fired containing confidential information related to allegations she has made.

The province is seeking a court order to have Mentzelopoulos return the emails and disclose who she shared the information with. A decision from Court of King's Bench Justice Debra Yungwirth says government lawyers can question Mentzelopoulos about the emails, although they won't be permitted to ask about information she may have already shared with Alberta's auditor general or the RCMP as part of their separate investigations into the allegations. Yungwirth's decision says a decision will be made on whether the emails need to be returned after Mentzelopoulos has been questioned.