Ottawa police confirms it's investigating officers for allegedly supporting 'Freedom Convoy'Investigations began during illegal protest's 'early days,' interim chief saysThe Ottawa Police Service has confirmed it's been investigating a small number of officers who may have supported the so-called Freedom Convoy since the early days of the illegal occupation in the downtown core.
Interim Chief Steve Bell told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning Thursday the force is committed to scrutinizing the matter fully, and the investigations are ongoing.
"Yes, in early days, we started investigations into individuals who may have been involved. Those will continue. I think it's really important to note that it's a very, very small number," Bell said in response to a question about alleged officer donations.
"We need to deal with the people who supported it, because there's no room for them, but the vast majority of this organization did everything within their power, in an absolutely professional way, to remove that demonstration from our streets."
From Bell's wording, it's unclear whether the investigations pertain only to possible donations, or whether any officers may have had deeper links to the protest.
Interim Ottawa police Chief Steve Bell says there's 'no room' in the force for officers who supported the illegal protest. (Kimberley Molina/CBC )At least 6 Ottawa officers in publicly leaked listLast week, CBC News matched at least two dozen current and former members of the Ottawa Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police with a publicly leaked list of names identified as apparent donors to GiveSendGo, a crowdfunding site that was used to support the weeks-long occupation in Ottawa.
The OPP said it had launched an investigation into alleged officer donations to the convoy, but wouldn't divulge how many officers were under scrutiny. Ottawa police, meanwhile, wouldn't confirm whether they were investigating.
After comparing the names of donors living in Ontario to publicly accessible salary disclosure lists of police officers, CBC found roughly 60 people with potential connections to law enforcement based on information they provided to GiveSendGo.
CBC then cross-referenced the information with other publicly available sources such as postal codes, social media accounts and archived news stories, and was able to match at least 26 donors to current and former police members — six with Ottawa police and 20 with the OPP.
For some Ottawa police officers, CBC was able to further confirm their names, and at times their donation amounts, with sources within the force. CBC is not naming the officers because they have not been charged nor disciplined, and none agreed to be on the record.
Their apparent contributions ranged from $50 to more than $1,000 each, and often accompanied a comment.
Listen to interim chief Bell's entire interview with Ottawa MorningIt's been nearly two weeks since police began a massive operation that paralyzed the downtown core, but many questions remain about why it took so long and what it’ll take to rebuild trust. We have the interim police chief Steve Bell. 15:48https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-police-investigating-officers-freedom-convoy-donations-1.6379619'Freedom Convoy' assets to remain frozen through end of MarchMareva injunction freezes assets belonging to organizers of convoy, including cryptocurrencyA rare court order meant to freeze assets belonging to organizers of the so-called Freedom Convoy is being extended through at least the end of March when the case returns to court.
Lawyers representing Ottawa residents in a proposed class-action lawsuit against the convoy protesters successfully argued for the rarely-used Mareva injunction on Feb. 17.
The Mareva order freezes particular funds from its respondents: organizers Patrick King, Tamara Lich, Christopher Garrah, Nicholas St. Louis and Benjamin Dichter, alongside the non-profit Freedom 2022 Human Rights and Freedoms.
The injunction restricts convoy leaders from "selling, removing, dissipating, alienating, transferring, assigning" up to $20 million in assets raised around the world.
On Wednesday, Ontario Superior Court Justice Calum MacLeod says he wants to allow more time for lawyers to track down assets, including cryptocurrencies, with the next court date set for March 31.
Some assets already in escrowCourt heard some holdings have already been turned over to Toronto-based KSV Advisory, the company tasked with holding assets in escrow while the various court matters involving the protests are dealt with.
A TD Canada Trust account in Lich's name, which holds $1.3 million in assets raised on the fundraising platform GiveSendGo, was voluntarily transferred to KSV. Lich was released on bail Monday and faces criminal charges for her role in the protests.
Tamara Lich and Pat King are two of those facing charges by Ottawa police for their roles in the so-called Freedom Convoy. Their assets have also been frozen related to a class-action lawsuit. (CBC)Lawyers representing the government were in attendance at Wednesday's hearing, telling the court there was some overlap between assets being sought by the civil matter and assets frozen as a result of the invocation of the federal Emergencies Act.
Lawyers behind the Mareva order, who represent businesses and Ottawa residents, aim to redistribute donations to residents, businesses and employees of downtown Ottawa covered by the class-action lawsuit.
Crown lawyer Susan Keenan also said an application of civil forfeiture proceedings will be filed related to some of the funds raised for the protest. Essentially, that means the government will try to take some of the money being held in escrow — the same pot of money Ottawa residents involved in the proposed class-action lawsuit will seek damages from.
Keenan said Crown lawyers are co-ordinating with colleagues involved in the class-action lawsuit on the timing of filing the forfeiture application.
Cryptocurrency still being soughtIt remains unclear how much cryptocurrency has been recovered, but court heard one of the key crypto fundraisers for the protesters, Ottawa resident Nicholas St. Louis, had a search warrant executed on his house on Feb. 28.
According to an affidavit with Wednesday's date, four bitcoin wallets were in his possession at the time of the seizure. According to St. Louis, officers from the Ottawa Police Service, OPP and RCMP were involved in executing the warrant. He has not been charged.
Police seized some cryptocurrency as a result of that search warrant, which has since been transferred to the escrow account, according to Crown lawyers.
"There is still some cryptocurrency which is scattered ... and it is being identified by the cryptocurrency agencies," said Monique Jilesen, representing the law firm Lenczner Slaght and acting for Champ & Associates, the law firm working with Ottawa residents in the proposed class-action lawsuit.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/convoy-court-order-class-action-lawsuit-paul-champ-1.6379006
