A dispute between the Lester B. Pearson School Board and a partner based in India could explain why the board is under investigation by Quebec's anti-corruption squad.
The school board entered into partnership with a company called Edu Edge and its founder, Naveen Kolan in 2013 with the goal of recruiting international students for its vocational school. Under the agreement obtained by CTV Montreal, both sides would collect tuition fees and share all expenses and revenue equally. But the LBPSB has been asking its international students to pay the board directly.
The vocational school was initially housed in the Tabachnick Pavilion in Dorval, but in 2014 a new centre was opened in downtown Montreal and that's when the school saw a huge increase in enrolment and revenue. That year, some 300 students attended the school, resulting in over $6 million in revenue.
A source tells CTV the school board then tried to renegotiate the 50/50 split and withheld a part of Kolan's share. Kolan in turn began withholding tuition fees that he had collected and requested an audit by a third party, which was allowed under the agreement. The LBPSB then allegedly sent a letter to Kolan informing him they intended to cancel the contract, a letter Kolan says he never received.
Members of the school board contacted UPAC investigators last month after they say they found "irregularities" surrounded the vocational school. Both the Lester B. Pearson and English Montreal School Boards are being investigated by both UPAC as well as an auditor appointed by Quebec's Education ministry.
With files from CTV Montreal