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.
Retired master corporal Amy Green said she was shocked when she discovered she had been sent names, email addresses and claim numbers, which she said is enough information to access certain parts of a claimant’s file.
The area surrounding the scene will be cordoned off for a significant amount of time. 224 Street is currently closed between 16th and 24th Avenues. The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) has been called and will be working in partnership with Langley RCMP.
Forty-three per cent of Canadians surveyed by Leger identified their feelings about the current state of the pandemic as "prudent" — the most popular answer of four options — saying they did not want to lift restrictions too quickly.
The male victim has succumbed to his injuries and the investigation has been turned over to Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). Any further inquiries regarding this investigation will be handled by IHIT.
Ottawa police said Thursday that a dozen trucks left an area outside the downtown core after negotiations with protesters who have used the parking lot there as a staging and logistics ground. Ten more trucks left streets near Parliament Hill, and another vehicle was towed for obstructing traffic.
There are 21,974 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 310,533 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 893 COVID-positive individuals are in hospital and 143 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation
