Alberta Justice says probe uncovered no evidence of emails between Smith’s office, Crown prosecutors | 24CA News

No report of digital communication between Premier Danielle Smith’s workplace and the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) has been discovered after allegations reported final week had been probed, based on Alberta Justice.

In a news launch issued Monday, the federal government division stated the Alberta Public Service had undertaken a “comprehensive review of emails” relating to the matter, looking for “any emails sent to or received by the relevant prosecutors and staff in the premier’s office over a four-month period.”

READ MORE: Internal assessment of emails between province, crown prosecutors not sufficient: NDP, specialists

Concerns had been raised final week after the CBC reported {that a} supply advised them they’d seen emails they alleged had been despatched from a staffer in Smith’s workplace to the ACPS, difficult prosecutors on their judgment relating to instances referring to a blockade by the Canada-U.S. border close to Coutts, Alta., final 12 months.

“No further review will be conducted unless additional evidence is brought forward,” Alberta Justice stated on Monday.

“The search included all emails in the (Government of Alberta) mailboxes including emails sent from or to a non-(Government of Alberta) email address,” stated an Alberta Justice spokesperson, who additionally confirmed the Public Service Commission didn’t conduct any interviews within the case.

‘It’s a coverup’

Despite the province’s announcement that no emails had been discovered between Crown prosecutors and the premier’s workplace, Opposition MLA Rakhi Pancholi known as on the premier and justice minister to launch a completely impartial investigation into potential political interference within the administration of justice.

“This really isn’t an investigation — it’s an IT review,” Pancholi stated.

She stated this request isn’t simply in regards to the emails — it’s the fruits of statements the premier has made since she got here to workplace in October, relating to Crown prosecutors and prosecutions  associated to COVID-19.

The premier initially stated earlier this month that she had contacted Crown prosecutors over COVID-19 prosecutions then backpedalled on her feedback a number of days later, saying she solely ever spoke to the solicitor normal and his deputy.

Pancholi stated the premier must put an finish to hypothesis over whether or not somebody from her workplace contacted Crown prosecutors, and added that she ought to be wanting to do this if there isn’t something to cover. Pancholi stated she believes the state of affairs appears like a “coverup” as of Monday morning.

“The fact that she refuses to do so lends to the idea that she has something to hide,” the MLA stated.

A lawyer herself, Pancholi stated Albertans need to know whether or not the premier understands the rule of legislation. She added that it ought to go with out saying that Albertans ought to be capable of belief their premier.

Pancholi added that she believes even simply contacting the solicitor normal about these instances remains to be political interference.

2:03Smith responds to allegations workers member emailed Crown Prosecutors over Coutts blockade

Smith issued an announcement on the findings of the assessment on Monday.

“I am confident in the integrity and professionalism of my staff,” Smith stated. “That’s why I am grateful for the non-partisan review completed this weekend by the Public Service Commission, which found no records of contact between the premier’s office and Crown prosecutors.

“I have full faith that the public service conducted a thorough and comprehensive review. I would like to thank them for the seriousness with which they took this matter as well as their commitment to working non-stop over the past number days to provide Albertans with results to put their concerns to rest.

“An independent Crown prosecution service, free from political interference, is integral to the preservation of public confidence in the justice system.”

In an announcement issued Monday afternoon, Kimberley Goddard, the assistant deputy minister of the ACPS, stated the service “fully co-operated” with the general public servants who accomplished the assessment.

“Continued suggestions of impropriety without evidence are not warranted,” she stated in an e mail. “This unsubstantiated speculation harms the reputation of the ACPS and does a disservice to the dedicated professionals in ACPS who carry out their work with unwavering integrity.

“It is wrong to suggest that the ACPS has been anything but ethical and appropriate in carrying out its duties.”

Lisa Young, a political science professor on the University of Calgary, stated “the premier’s stance and the little bits we heard out of the (UCP) caucus meeting (over the weekend) really did suggest that it was unlikely the emails were going to be found on the government system — there was a degree of confidence about that.”

This strikes the main target away from the premier and over to the CBC, which determined to run the story with out seeing the emails, she stated.

In a narrative Monday, Chuck Thompson, head of public affairs for CBC, stated it stands behind the journalism in its story.

“For Smith, politically, she’s able to say… an allegation was made, we investigated, we didn’t find anything, end of story, let’s move on,” Young stated.

“But I don’t think the story goes away quite that easily,” she added. “We’re left with the question of whether emails do exist but not on the government email system.”

She continued that the main target may shift to the Crown prosecutors’ workplace to reply the query of whether or not there was any political affect on the Crown prosecutors’ service however by way of different channels apart from the federal government e mail system.

And even when the CBC didn’t come out with its story, individuals would nonetheless be questioning Smith’s feedback on this matter, Young stated.

“Now, because the CBC’s story has become the focus, it in some ways allows her to shift the attention away from her misstatement and clarification.

Going forward, the province will likely shift the conversation towards “something more favourable for the party with the (upcoming) election,” Young stated.

–with information from The Canadian Press