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.
Canada Post says it is seeking "clarification" from the federal government about face masks after drawing criticism for refusing to let employees bring their own N95 masks to work. The Crown corporation earlier this week said employees had to use a Canada Post-issued cloth mask or disposable medical mask, or they would be sent home.
In a statement, Supt. Duncan Pound of B.C.'s anti-gang squad says its investigations into the shootings in Langley, Surrey and Coquitlam — in which one person was killed and the bystanders were hurt — indicate they appear to be connected to the drug trade.
The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, a branch of the Communications Security Establishment, said it was "aware of foreign cyber threat activities, including by Russian-backed actors, to target Canadian critical infrastructure network operators, their operational and information technology."
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Lt.-Col. Dan Richel says his 1,000-strong unit, which includes about 350 Canadian soldiers, is trained and equipped to help defend Latvian territory in the event of an attack.
On January 20, 2022, at 1:44 a.m., Surrey RCMP responded to the report of a man shot inside a residence in the 8700-block of 152 Street. Police arrived on scene and located a man suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was transported to local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The government says Liberal MPs Patricia Lattanzio and James Maloney are joining the committee, filling spots most recently held by Conservatives Leona Alleslev and Rob Morrison.
