VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – Reports of money being wasted on the construction of the Port Mann bridge are being investigated by the new BC government, but there are no immediate plans to get police involved.

Hundreds of documents leaked to the CBC surfaced suggesting several accounting problems apparently showing the former BC government overpaid millions of dollars to speed up work on the once-tolled crossing. It showed taxpayers may have spent $150 million too much on the $3.3 billion project.

Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver has demanded an independent investigation and told NEWS 1130 having the RCMP investigate may be a good idea.

However, Transportation Minister Claire Trevena has confirmed a review by her staff doesn’t include the Mounties. “It would be premature to speculate about whether there has been any criminal wrongdoing here at all.”

As for when she expects to have some answers. “We’re working as fast as possible to pull together all this material. It goes back a number of years, but I’m confident the staff will give it to be as soon as possible.”

She adds there is no proof of any criminal wrong-doing. “I think it’s too early to say how we’re going to review it. There definitely will be a follow-up. I’m going to look at the papers and then, obviously take it from there and see which avenue we should use. There are many avenues that we could do whether it is the Auditor General, the Comptroller General, outside review, however we do it.”

Trevena isn’t ruling out a public inquiry.

The documents leaked last year, but surfacing publicly this month, suggest the Liberals ignored their own rules regarding oversight and the tendering of contracts on the project which is now more than $4 billion in debt.

Earlier this month, former Transportation Minister Todd Stone said the project was both on budget and he was never aware of any cost overruns.