Former Alberta health agency CEO asks for speedy ruling in lawsuit against government

A former health agency C-E-O is asking a judge to deliver a quick decision on her wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the Alberta government. But the province says it will push back.

Athana Mentzelopoulos (MENT-suh-LOW-po-luss), the former head of Alberta Health Services, has applied for a summary judgment on the legality of her firing, which would keep the case from going to trial.

Her lawsuit alleges she was improperly fired after investigating questionable, multimillion-dollar health contracts.

She says her version of events will be confirmed by former A-H-S board members, if the court compels them to testify under oath as part of the latest application.

The Alberta government says the application is legally baseless and marked by misinformation and false claims. In its statement of defence, the province says Mentzelopolous was fired for failing at her job, and that she was stifling government-mandated health-care reform.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.