Thank you, Chair.
Millions of dollars of rank-and-file RCMP officers' pension and life insurance funds were, in the words of the Auditor General, misused “due to management overriding controls”. Much of these funds have still not been repaid. This appears to be a tale with no best-case scenario and the worst case of fraud, obstruction of investigations, of whistle-blowers and investigators punished and constructively dismissed, of criminal investigations suspended, evidence buried, and of wrongdoers rewarded with fraudulent leave payouts.
Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources, Ms. George, during the criminal investigation of the RCMP insurance outsourcing project, Staff Sergeant Mike Frizzell was the lead investigator. Staff Sergeant Frizzell has over 15 years of criminal investigative experience and an impeccable track record. On June 19, 2005, two superintendents arrived at his office. He was physically removed and his computer and files were seized. The 15-month Ottawa police criminal investigation was terminated the following week.
Did you or Mr. Zaccardelli order that Staff Sergeant Frizzell be removed, and was it you or Mr. Zaccardelli who ordered that the investigation be shut down?