Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets Aga Khan on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 17, 2016. Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he did not allow himself to take his family on an exclusive vacation to the private island of Aga Khan in the Bahamas in 2016.
Documents received by the Conservative Party on access to information describe a detailed RCMP investigation into the Christmas holiday in the Ismaili Muslim leader’s luxury island refuge. The RCMP said there may have been reasonable grounds to charge fraud against Mr Trudeau because he accepted a free vacation with a man who had millions of dollars in deals with Ottawa.
But Mounties decided not to blame Mr Trudeau, as it was unclear whether the prime minister had the authority to approve the gift, paid for at all costs.
Interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen said on Tuesday in the municipalities in question that the RCMP “knows there is a loophole he could use.”
“As silly as it sounds, the prime minister could write a note giving himself permission to take the holiday.
She asked Mr Trudeau if he had given himself permission to “break the law” by accepting a $ 215,000 free holiday, which included the use of a private helicopter and Aga Khan aircraft.
“No, Mr Orator,” replied Mr. Trudeau.
“The RCMP has addressed this issue and there is no political interference around it,” he added. “They came to their own conclusions that they had nothing to pursue.”
Trudeau faces a backlash at the House to investigate Aga Khan’s trip
The opposition leader has not suggested that Mr Trudeau intervene in the RCMP’s 2019 decision not to accuse him of fraud.
When asked by The Globe and Mail to comment on the RCMP document on his way to the House of Commons for a period of questioning, Mr Trudeau also said he would never try to influence a police investigation.
“Neither the opposition parties nor the government can direct the police to do or not do whatever they want. “We have a strong, independent process in Canada and we believe in that,” he said.
The remarks were his first public comments about revelations that the RCMP was considering accusing him of fraud.
Documents show that the RCMP has decided that it will not be in the public interest to file charges due to a lack of clarity in the federal rules that apply to accepting gifts. As Mr Trudeau is the head of government, the RCMP said, “it cannot be determined with certainty whether Mr Trudeau can simply give his consent.”
The Aga Khan Foundation has received millions of dollars from Ottawa for its work in developing countries. During the trip, she also registered to lobby several government departments, including the prime minister’s office, to fund her development projects.
In 2017, then-Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson found that Mr Trudeau had violated four sections of the Conflict of Interest Act by accepting the holiday due to the continuation of official business between the government and Aga Khan.
The RCMP said in the documents that “it is not clear whether Mr Trudeau can be prosecuted under section 121 (1) (c) of the Penal Code, as the section has a provision that allows officials to accept benefits from public officials. provided that the official has the written consent of the head of their branch of state. “
The RCMP said Mr Trudeau’s actions as prime minister were “probably more detrimental to the integrity of the Government of Canada” than any similar action taken by a lower-ranking government official.
But the RCMP concluded that in addition to the low chances of conviction, an indictment against the incumbent prime minister would cause damage that would “significantly outweigh” the negative effects of accusing an ordinary member of society.
The RCMP told The Globe that their findings had been independently confirmed by two separate third parties, including the Civil Review and Complaints Commission of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
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