One of the lawyers representing some of the convoy’s organizers told the Emergency Act inquiry that the group was receiving leaked police information from supporters during protests that blocked streets in downtown Ottawa last winter.
Keith Wilson, who represents the organizers of the convoy, including Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, is testifying on Wednesday before the Public Order Emergency Commission, which is reviewing the federal government’s decision to invoke emergency powers to clear the crowds and the vehicles that blocked the capital for the longest time. more than three weeks.
“There were numerous occasions when information was coming into the operations center from various law enforcement sources that a raid was imminent,” he said under oath on Wednesday.
“And it happened many times.”
Before his testimony, Wilson sat down with commission attorneys for an interview. A summary of that interview was filed as an exhibit Wednesday.
“Wilson doesn’t know the sources, but the Freedom Convoy was getting leaked information from law enforcement,” he says.
“Eventually, the police took notice and appeared to launch ‘fake operations’ to flush out the Freedom Convoy participants and test where the leaks were coming from.”
LOOK | Lawyer says protest organizers were receiving leaked police information
Convoy’s lawyer says protest organizers were receiving leaked police information
Keith Wilson, lawyer for Tamara Lich protest organizers Chris Barber, says “police sources” from the Public Order Emergency Commission gave the convoy advance notice of the raids.
Wilson’s statement does not say which police department he believes leaked information.
The Ottawa Police Service has said it is investigating a small number of officers who may have supported the Freedom Convoy since the early days of the illegal occupation downtown. So far, only one Ottawa police officer has faced any formal prosecution for involvement in the convoy or occupation, and that was for donating money.
Last week, Ottawa Police Services Supt. Robert Drummond told the inquiry there were concerns within the service about the leaks, but he was not aware of the status of the investigation.
“There was one member that I knew of and we shut down their access to their corporate accounts,” he said.
“As a precaution, we closed. I wasn’t currently working, I was on leave.”
According to documents previously released to CBC through an access to information request, the RCMP feared serving Mounties might be sympathetic to protests against pandemic restrictions.
“The potential for serious insider threats exists,” says a Feb. 10 advisory from the RCMP’s ideologically motivated criminal intelligence team.
Freedom Convoy organizer Tom Marazzo, right, and lawyer Keith Wilson talk to people in the gallery before the start of the day’s hearings at the Public Order Emergency Commission, where will appear as witnesses, Wednesday in Ottawa. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
“Those who have not lost their jobs but sympathize with the movement and their former colleagues may be in a position to share information from law enforcement or the military at the convoy protests.”
The RCMP later said it did not identify any “active internal threats within the RCMP that may have adversely affected the organization’s ability to execute its mandate in relation to the Freedom Convoy.”
Tom Marazzo, Pat King also testify today
Wilson told the commission that former law enforcement officers, ex-military and ex-CSIS personnel were involved in the logistics of the protests and had access to radios, maps and aerial photographs.
“Many of these ex-service personnel were connected and brought information,” the interview summary said.
Wilson said they were coordinating fuel distribution and waste disposal, stage management and dealing with troublesome protesters.
Later Wednesday, the commission will hear from one of those coordinators: Tom Marazzo, one of Wilson’s clients and a former military man who joined the convoy once it arrived in Ottawa to help with logistics.
High-profile organizer Pat King is expected to testify this afternoon.
On Tuesday, the inquiry heard other participants were concerned about King’s involvement after he posted a video suggesting violence against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
King faces charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, mischief and intimidation for his role in the protest, and was released on bail in July.
Wilson told the commission Wednesday that several groups joined the self-styled Freedom Convoy, including those who supported the movement, those who wanted to take it over and those who wanted a share of the millions of dollars raised by organizers.
He said some odd groups, including a coven of witches, were drawn to the movement “like moths to a flame”.