“The information presented to the Emergency Act inquiry yesterday was purely new information to us that we had not yet investigated. And we have already started an internal investigation as of last night,” Steve Bell testified Thursday night to a parliamentary committee. Bell added that the police service would contact lawyer Keith Wilson, who mentioned the leaks during his testimony at the inquest earlier in the week. Wilson, who represents convoy organizers including Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, testified Wednesday before the Public Order Emergency Committee, which is reviewing the federal government’s decision to invoke emergency powers to clear crowds and vehicles which blocked the center of the capital for more than three. weeks during the protest. Ottawa Police Service Interim Chief Steve Bell reads documents submitted as evidence during testimony at the Public Order Emergency Committee, Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press) “There was a constant flow of information and leaks from all the different police forces and security agencies,” Wilson told the inquest. “There were many times when information came into the operations center from various police sources that a raid was imminent. And it happened many times.” CBC News has reached out to Wilson for comment. Wilson told reporters outside the inquiry room that the information came from multiple police agencies, not just the Ottawa Police Service. OPS said it was investigating a small number of officers who may have supported the convoy protest from the early days of the city center occupation. To date, only one Ottawa police officer has faced any formal prosecution for participating in the escort or possession — and that too for donating money. Bell’s confirmation of an investigation into the leaks came during a special joint committee on the emergency declaration. This committee of MPs and senators – prompted by the federal government’s use of emergency powers – has been meeting continuously for several months. These hearings come on top of the ongoing public inquiry into the use of emergency powers, which is expected to hear from dozens more witnesses over the next two weeks.
