Staff Reports
The new Global News investigation this week is a wake-up call for Canada’s national security and procurement systems. Declassified intelligence files and public contract records show an Edmonton businessman known as “Sal” is Mohammad Reza Ghafouri Fard. His Alberta firms won more than CAD 2 million in government contracts, including work tied to the Department of National Defence and the RCMP, even while Canada’s security service was warning about his alleged past work on Iranian military projects. Taxpayers deserve answers — and fast.
How did this happen?
According to the declassified CSIS screening file now in court records, investigators flagged Ghafouri years ago for work tied to Iranian military programs. Yet federal and provincial procurement systems still awarded contracts to his companies. That gap smells like a failure of basic checks and agency handoffs. Security screening landed in immigration files, but procurement offices kept writing checks. If government bureaucracy were a boat, this is the hole in the hull.
What the intelligence alleges
The CSIS material reported in the investigation alleges Ghafouri worked on guided anti‑aircraft projects and electronic‑warfare gear for Iran, and that he helped run a covert procurement network that bought parts for those programs. Those are serious claims tied to the IRGC and to projects that could threaten Western forces and allies. To be clear: these are intelligence allegations, not criminal convictions. Still, the idea that someone linked to such projects was paid by DND or got grants while under review is deeply troubling.
Who is “Sal” and why it matters
“Sal” goes by companies registered in Alberta, including Melanite Group Ltd. and Radian Group Ltd., and is identified as the son of Hassan Ghafourifard, a former vice‑president of Iran. His lawyer says he disputes the allegations and is fighting the citizenship delay and security findings in court. Fine — everyone gets due process. But due process shouldn’t mean open procurement doors and taxpayer dollars flowing while national security questions pile up.
Fixes Canada needs now
At minimum Ottawa must suspend any active contracts tied to these companies until a full audit is complete. Departments must build fast, reliable checks so that CSIS screening flags are visible to procurement officers in real time. Immigration and procurement systems must share data, and citizenship decisions that involve security concerns should move faster. Other Western governments should take note: letting bureaucratic silos shelter potential risks is how major mistakes happen. Taxpayers and soldiers deserve better than this kind of mismatch between the files and the funding.
