Mar 28, 2007 10:42 PM Canadian press http://www.thestar.com/News/article/197227
OTTAWA– The Commons public accounts committee is holding an emergency meeting Thursday after RCMP officers alleged fraud and abuse in the management of their pension and insurance plans, CBC's The National reports. And the committee is looking at summoning senior RCMP executives to testify, including former commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli. The allegations came in testimony before the committee on Wednesday, as serving and retired officers broke ranks and delivered a scathing indictment of their leadership. There is already fallout from the accusations, the CBC reported.
The deputy commissioner in charge of human resources has offered to step down from the management team, said the CBC. CTV News reported later that the officer had been reassigned to another position. One MP on the committee says the Liberals will be calling for a public inquiry, the CBC said. In a report last fall, Auditor General Sheila Fraser found millions in inappropriate charges to the pension and insurance plans. The RCMP has largely reimbursed the funds. However, at the public accounts committee, several officers testified when they tried to raise the issues with the leadership, they were stonewalled by more than one senior executive, including Zaccardelli.
"The RCMP has had small groups of managers who through their actions and inactions are responsible for serious breaches in our core values, the RCMP code of conduct and even the criminal code," said Chief Superintendent Fraser MaCaulay. Sgt. Steve Walker said: "Every core value and rule of ethical conduct that I held to be true and dear as a rank and file member of the RCMP has been decimated and defiled by employees at the highest levels of the RCMP."
Members of the committee appeared shocked by the allegations against the high-ranking members of the force. "I'm a lawyer and I tell you they would be in court if it was anyone else, and packing a tooth brush for prison," said Conservative Brian Fitzpatrick. Said Liberal Shawn Murphy: "The cover up is worse than the crime."
----------------------------
Also see related article at http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/03/28/rcmp-allegations.html
No comments:
Post a Comment