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A study investigating Nova Scotia’s mass shootings wants to know why the Federal Ministry of Justice has withheld notes written by senior mounties for months and if there are more revelations in the future.
“The Commission asked for an explanation … why four pages were missing from the original disclosure,” Barbara McLean, head of the investigation, said in an email Friday.
“The Commission is also requesting an explanation of the further material that was withheld.”
On Tuesday, the investigation released an internal RCMP document containing notes taken by Supt. Darren Campbell in talks with senior officers and staff nine days after gunmen killed 22 people in northern and central Nova Scotia on April 28, 2020.
At the meeting, RCMP director Brenda Lucchi said he was disappointed that details of the firearms used by the murderer were not announced at a previous press conference in Halifax, according to Campbell’s memo. ..
Campbell claimed that Lucky had promised the cavalry to publish an explanation to the Prime Minister’s Office, adding that the information was “tied to a pending gun control law that would make police and the public safer.”
Earlier this week, supervisors’ memos caused controversy in Ottawa when opposition Tory and the New Democratic Party accused the Governing Liberal Party of interfering with police investigations for political gain.
Meanwhile, the investigative commission confirmed on Friday that the Justice Department sent 132 pages of Campbell’s memo in February 2022, but did not include his entry for the April meeting.
The missing memo was submitted to the Commission on May 31st.
McLean said the Commission was seeking assurance that nothing else was hindered, and she complained about the RCMP document that had already been disclosed.
“These documents are often provided in different ways and require extensive review by the committee team,” McLean wrote in an email. “Our team will continue to carefully review all disclosures for any gaps or additional information needed to carry out our mission.”
Michael Scott, a lawyer representing 14 of the victim’s families, said he was concerned about document delays.
“Whenever a document is scrutinized, edited, or withheld in a completely inappropriate way, it completely undermines the entire process,” he said in an interview on Friday.
In addition to having to read the thousands of pages of records, records, and notes submitted to the inquiry, Scott said, “Now we have to worry that we don’t have all the documents.” Stated.
Kent Roach, a law professor at the University of Toronto, said the delay in receiving information from the RCMP meant that investigations were left to address important issues later in the mission. rice field. The final report of the investigation is due on November 1st and all submissions are scheduled for September.
Roach, author of “Canada Police: Why and How Should You Change,” said:
“If the Mass Casualty Commission had previously known about this, it might have decided to do the hearing and investigation differently,” he said Friday.
Professor Campbell said comments from Campbell cast doubt on the structure of the RCMP and its competing obligations that the Commissioner is both the “willing” local and national police of the Minister of Public Security.
“My concern is that the citizens (of Nova Scotia) appear to be on the sidelines while there is tension and conflict between RCMP Nova Scotia and RCMP Ottawa,” he said.
The Canadian Press asked RCMP for comment, but did not immediately respond.
Campbell said he wouldn’t comment by email. He said he was waiting for an interview from the committee.
“My interview is scheduled and will take place in the very near future,” he writes.
“I also expect to be called to the Mass Casualty Commission as a witness near the end of July and look forward to both opportunities, so I would like to make public comments before submitting evidence under the oath. It is inappropriate to do. “
By Lyndsay Armstrong and Michael Tutton
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