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.
Jay Chalke's report says the 60-year-old woman had the money to cover the tax bill but personal challenges made it difficult to pay and the City of Penticton sold the home in 2017 for $150,000, costing her about $270,000 in equity.
Surrey RCMP were called at 8:40am on Wednesday in relation to a man barricading himself inside a home in the 14100-block of 114A Avenue. The male is in police custody and has been arrested under the Mental Health Act. He has been transported to local hospital.
Government officials from 110 countries, including Canada, as well as business leaders and civil-society advocates and activists will gather for a two-day virtual "Summit for Democracy" aimed at slowing the march of authoritarianism.
The Bank of Canada is keeping its key interest rate target on hold at its rock-bottom level of 0.25 per cent. In a statement, the central bank also said Wednesday it doesn't expect to raise the trendsetting rate until some time between April and September next year, which is unchanged from its previous guidance.
A man charged in the hit-and-run death of a Calgary police officer has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. A jury trial was to begin this week for Amir Abdulrahman on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Sgt. Andrew Harnett.
Surrey RCMP Community Response Unit arrested 19 people during two days of proactively targeting thieves in local malls. During the holiday season, our shopping malls are busy with people looking for the perfect gift, and stores offering that special item.
