The RCMP did not interview Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before concluding that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate a criminal offence in the SNC-Lavalin scandal, top officials confirmed in a House of Commons committee hearing on Tuesday.
In fact, the federal police interviewed only four individuals, one of whom was former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, and they did not even attempt to get Trudeau’s testimony.
The revelation raised eyebrows among Conservatives at the ethics committee who wondered why the RCMP did not get to the heart of the allegations of political interference from the Prime Minister’s Office against Wilson-Raybould that shocked the country five years ago.
“In my over 30 years of experience as a defence counsel and a Crown attorney, I have never heard of any investigation where there wasn’t any attempt — whether they agree to interview or not — to interview the person of interest,” said Conservative MP Larry Brock.
RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme and Sergeant Frédéric Pincince, who oversaw the investigation into SNC-Lavalin, were supposed to testify last October but the Liberals shut down the meeting because, they claimed, their appearance was confirmed at the last minute.
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Records made public last fall by Democracy Watch show the RCMP mostly relied on public claims made by the actors involved in the SNC-Lavalin affair to come to their conclusions and did not even apply to obtain a search warrant to access confidential cabinet documents.
In fact, the federal police interviewed only four individuals, one of whom was former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, and they did not even attempt to get Trudeau’s testimony.
The revelation raised eyebrows among Conservatives at the ethics committee who wondered why the RCMP did not get to the heart of the allegations of political interference from the Prime Minister’s Office against Wilson-Raybould that shocked the country five years ago.
“In my over 30 years of experience as a defence counsel and a Crown attorney, I have never heard of any investigation where there wasn’t any attempt — whether they agree to interview or not — to interview the person of interest,” said Conservative MP Larry Brock.
RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme and Sergeant Frédéric Pincince, who oversaw the investigation into SNC-Lavalin, were supposed to testify last October but the Liberals shut down the meeting because, they claimed, their appearance was confirmed at the last minute.
RCMP never tried to interview Justin Trudeau as part of SNC-Lavalin scandal probe, ethics committee told — National Post
'I have never heard of any investigation where there wasn't any attempt to interview the person of interest,' said Conservative MP Larry Brock
