Ottawa, June 24 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has denied meddling in an investigation into the 2020 mass shooting, the worst the country's history.
Brenda Lucki, head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has been accused of pressuring local officers to help advance Trudeau's gun control plans, the BBC quoted the Halifax Examiner as saying, which was the first to report on the development.
According to the Halifax Examiner, the accusation stemmed from notes made by a local RCMP officer, released as part of a public investigation into the mass shooting on April 18-19, 2020, during which a gunman posing as a police officer killed 22 people in Nova Scotia.
The suspect died in a stand-off with police.
Addressing reporters on Thursday, Trudeau said that his government "did not put any undo influence or pressure" on police.
"It is extremely important to highlight that it is only the RCMP, it is only police that determine what and when to release information," the BBC quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Denying the accusations, Commissioner Lucki said in a statement released on Tuesday that information sharing between the federal government and police is normal during a high-profile event such as a mass shooting.
The RCMP chief however acknowledged that she "should have been more sensitive" in her approach.
Canada's opposition Conservative Party has called for a debate in the House of Commons, and a parliamentary committee voted on Thursday to hold a hearing into the matter.
In the wake of the deadliest rampage in Canadian history, Prime Minister Trudeau in May 2020 announced an immediate ban on the sale, transportation, importation, or use of some 1,500 makes and models of "military-grade assault-style" weapons.
Nearly 200 witnesses testified, including former premier Christy Clark, current and former cabinet ministers, government and gaming industry officials, law enforcement officers and academics.
The District of Sparwood has declared the emergency and posted evacuation alerts for two mobile home parks and several properties along the Elk River after nearly 52 millimetres of rain deluged the community.
Harjit Sajjan, the minister of International Development & the Vancouver MP says $64 million will be used to help rebuild public buildings, $6 million has been set aside for residents to bring their homes up to the same standards, while small- and medium-sized businesses will get $7.2 million to help them restart.
Erik Verstraten told the B.C. Supreme Court trial for Aydin Coban that he found 10,000 euros in cash and a passport belonging to the man during the search of the home near the Dutch city of Tilburg, in January 2014.
As well, each of the operators received a Notice and Order requiring an immediate inspection of their vehicle. Officers removed (towed) one of the vehicles from the scene.
The Public Health Agency of Canada reported more than 5,386 deaths related to opioids between January and September 2021. The majority of the deaths — 94 per cent — were accidental.
