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.
The unsuspecting victim then provides the driver with a debit card to pay for the transaction electronically. The driver then claims the tap function on his electronic payment machine does not work. He then takes the victim’s card, pretends to make a transaction, has the victim put in their PIN number, and gives a bogus card back to the victim.
Several demonstrators left the area upon police arrival; however, one man and three women, including one who glued herself to the road, were arrested for Mischief and Intimidation by blocking or obstructing a highway.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will travel north of the border next week to meet with her Canadian counterpart, Mary Ng. Tai's office says the ambassador will hold two days of meetings May 5-6 with Ng, Canada's international trade minister, in Ottawa and Toronto.
The 33-year-old mother of four lay on the sidewalk outside Prince Albert’s Gateway Mall for more than an hour before 911 was called. Video footage presented in court showed a dozen people passed by, and she was robbed of her purse and headphones.
Importantly, everyone will need to continue to keep their insurance documents in their vehicle at all times. You'll be able to print these out at home, request a copy by mail or visit a broker office to receive a copy.
The security footage shows two masked men entering a Gucci store on Dec. 9. They deploy bear spray in the face of a staff member before grabbing what police say was about $20,000 in merchandise off the shelves.
