Kathryn May, CanWest News Service, Ottawa Citizen
Mounties at the centre of the RCMP pension scandal traded more stunning personal accusations and allegations of wrongdoing at a parliamentary hearing Wednesday, cranking up the pressure for the Harper government to call a public inquiry into the fiasco.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Mike Frizzell, a key investigator on the Ottawa police probe into the misuse of pension and insurance funds, told MPs he believes Deputy Commissioner Barbara George was responsible for the nearly $600,000 improperly withdrawn from the insurance account to repay money taken out of the pension plan.
Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj tabled a March 2005 letter showing George instructing insurance underwriter Great West Life to take $540,327 out of the insurance plans.
“You say over half a million had been taken out of rank-and-file’s (insurance) fund, who is the person that gave that order,” asked Wrzesnewskyj.
“I believe it was Ms. George,” replied Frizzell.
He also told MPs he was convinced he was removed from the investigation as it was winding down because he sought an explanation from George and one of her executives about money missing from the plan.
“There was absolutely no question in my mind … that I was being removed because of Ms. George and the money taken out of the insurance plans,” he said.
The allegation came on the heels of Deputy Commissioner George’s fierce denial that she misled MPs when she testified Feb. 21 and said she had nothing to do with Frizzell’s removal from the investigation. She said she had fielded complaints about his aggressive and harassing behaviour when interviewing witnesses, but she did not direct the order to pull him off the case.
George, a 29-year veteran, said she had a spotless career until she faced accusations of misleading the committee. She said the accusation of perjury is the “catalyst that has changed my life forever.”
She said the accusations were based on a string of e-mails taken out of context that had “horrific consequences” on her and her family. George was suspended and removed from her job as the force’s chief human resources officer.
By time the dust settled, the Commons public accounts committee was no closer to getting to the bottom of the complicated affair, which is damaging the reputations of RCMP officers and the image of Canada’s national police force.
MPs were left so confused by contradictions and new allegations that they passed a motion to recall the five witnesses for another round of hearings.
Other witnesses included Rosalie Burton, a former human resources director general and right-hand aide to George, and Insp. Paul Roy, who headed the Ottawa police investigation into the scandal.
A frustrated NDP MP David Christopherson said the latest testimony shows the affair needs a full-blown public inquiry, rather than the independent investigation called by the Harper government.
He said he’s worried the highly charged hearings are damaging reputations and careers and asked Conservative MPs on the committee to back a motion asking for an inquiry.
Conservative MPs have so far abstained from voting on the motion to overrule the government’s decision and call for a public inquiry.
“The more we dig, the more we realize there is more to find and the investigation will get no closer,” Christopherson said. “We’re going to keep going in circles, and every time we go around the table, it just reinforces that what the RCMP and Canadians deserve is a proper, full inquiry and we’re not going to stop until we get one.”
Ron Lewis, a retired staff sergeant who lodged one of the original complaints about the misuse of pension fund money, agreed.
“Now I am convinced the government’s independent investigation isn’t going to work,” he said.
“If the committee with all the powers of Parliament can’t get to the bottom of this, (independent investigator) David Brown will be going to a gunfight with a knife.”
Wednesday’s hearings were called to unravel conflicting testimony and evidence suggesting that George had a direct hand in 2005 to remove Frizzell from the probe into the $12-billion RCMP pension plan.
At the centre of the conflicting testimony is the nearly $600,000 Frizzell had earlier testified was improperly withdrawn from the insurance account under George’s watch to repay money taken out of the pension plan.
Chief Superintendent Fraser Macaulay also told MPs that George and Burton were “persons of interest” in the insurance investigation.
The outsourcing of the insurance plan wasn’t even part of the Ottawa police investigation into the pension funds until investigators found a letter of agreement between the two chairs of the insurance and pension committees to “take money out to help pay for the administration costs for the insurance of pensioners”
As they dug deeper, they found pension funds were being funnelled into the insurance plans to help pay for mushrooming costs to outsource the administration of the insurance plans.
George’s original testimony that she knew nothing about Frizzell’s removal led to her eventual suspension and an investigation into her conduct.
According to court documents, she is now asking the Federal Court to quash the internal disciplinary and criminal investigation by the RCMP because she is protected by parliamentary privilege.
Witnesses who testify before parliamentary committee have immunity and are protected by parliamentary privilege so their testimony can’t be used against them in any criminal or civil investigation.
George argues the code of conduct and criminal investigations the RCMP initiated into her testimony “breach” that privilege.
She is also asking the court to quash her suspension and reinstate her as the force’s chief human resources officer.
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