Transparency groups urge Commons inquiry into RCMP’s dropping investigation into violation of Access to Information Act

FIPA, together with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Newspapers Canada, is urging the Parliamentary Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) to hold hearings into an abrupt RCMP decision to drop its criminal investigation into a federal Conservative staffer who deliberately blocked the release of documents requested under the Access to Information Act.

“The RCMP gave no reason for dropping this criminal investigation into theTogneri affair beyond a one-line statement saying it was unwarranted,” said FIPA Executive Director Vincent Gogolek. “This is very disturbing given the Information Commissioner’s report on the same incident.”

The federal Information Commissioner found that Sebastien Togneri, an aide to former Public Works minister Christian Paradis, had interfered with a reporter’s request for access to a record when he directed ATIP staff to ‘unrelease’ the disclosure package.

Full news release with link to letter to Committee Chair.