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.
On December 21, 2021 at 4:26 am, Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a vehicle smashing the front door of a business with a truck in the area of 15700 block of Croydon Drive. The suspect/(s) gained access to the store and stole approximately $5,000 in merchandise before fleeing the scene in the truck.
On December 13, 2021, 70-year-old Sant Mangat of Surrey, BC was officially charged with, one count of telecommunicate to lure a child under 16, and one count of possessing child pornography.
British Columbia closing bars, nightclubs and gyms amid climbing Omicron cases. The measures come into effect at 11:59 pm on December 22 and last until January 18. No indoor organized gatherings of any size will be allowed including weddings, receptions, holiday parties and other events under new restrictions.
There are 5,435 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 220,348 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 185 individuals are in hospital and 77 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation.
As the rise of the Omicron variant upends Canada's COVID-19 response, experts say medical mask mandates should not only be abolished, but wearing respirators should become the norm.
NSD Canada is bringing back a requirement for everyone entering the country to have a pre-arrival negative molecular test result for COVID-19, even if travellers are returning after being away for under 72 hours.
