Whelan Public Interest Investigation (MPCC‑2024‑047) - Homepage
Ottawa (December 11, 2024) - The Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada (MPCC) has launched a Public Interest Investigation into a complaint from Lieutenant-General (LGen) Steven Whelan that alleges that an investigation by the military police was flawed, unprofessional, and incompetent.
The complaint concerns a 2021-2022 sexual misconduct investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service. In July 2022, the military police laid a series of service offence charges against LGen Whelan and a court martial was convened. On October 2, 2023, the charges were withdrawn.
In his complaint, LGen Whelan cites several examples of substandard practices by the military police, including: inadequately documenting interactions with the alleged victim; showing bias in favour of the alleged victim; failing to ask crucial questions during interviews; improperly handling evidence; failing to adequately investigate potential conflicts of interest with witnesses; failing to interview key witnesses; and failing to properly conduct and disclose the interview of one witness.
“The allegations in this complaint are significant,” wrote MPCC Chairperson Me Tammy Tremblay in her decision to conduct a Public Interest Investigation into the complaint. “If substantiated, they could amount to a deliberate failure to properly investigate the serious allegation of sexual misconduct, possibly because the investigation was conducted with the objective of reaching a predetermined outcome.”
The seriousness of the issues raised in this complaint could warrant public hearings. Declaring a public interest hearing would empower the MPCC to compel witness cooperation and issue subpoenas for documents. However, at this time, Me Tremblay has determined that it is more expeditious and in the public interest to conduct a Public Interest Investigation without a hearing. This decision could be revisited as required by the circumstances, which may include inadequate voluntary cooperation in the Public Interest Investigation into the complaint.
Further details on the complaint are available in the Decision to Conduct a Public Interest Investigation.
Updates on the progress of the investigation will be posted in the "Timeline" section of the Whelan Public Interest Investigation page on MPCC website.
The MPCC’s Final Report will be made public once the Public Interest Investigation is completed.
For further information, please contact:
Annie BoucherCommunications Advisor
Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada
Telephone: 613‑863‑3702
aboucher@fusecommunications.ca
www.mpcc-cppm.gc.ca
Timeline
Date | Event |
---|---|
December 3, 2024 | Decision to conduct a Public Interest Investigation |
December 3, 2024 | Decision on request for extension of time to file a complaint |
- Date modified: