Photo Courtesy Canadian Press

By David Opinko

Alberta

No evidence of emails from premier’s office to crown prosecutors: report

Jan 23, 2023 | 10:45 AM

EDMONTON, AB – The Government of Alberta says there is no evidence that anyone from Premier Danielle Smith’s office had been in contact with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS).

Last week, a CBC report alleged that a member of the premier’s office had sent emails to Crown prosecutors in fall 2022, questioning and challenging the lawyers’ approach to cases relating to the Coutts border blockade earlier that year.

Smith’s office says it was not aware of any such occurrence happening and ordered an internal investigation into the situation.

That review was conducted this past weekend, January 20-22, 2023, by the Alberta Public Service (APS).

The APS searched for any emails that were sent to or received by the relevant prosecutors and staff in the premier’s office over a four-month period.

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The province says in a media release, “Almost a million incoming, outgoing, and deleted emails were reviewed.”

The government states that the review did not generate any records of contact between the two parties.

Smith issued the following statement after the report’s release:

“I am confident in the integrity and professionalism of my staff. 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.

“We ask the media and public to also respect their independence as they carry out their important work.”

Prior to the province’s media release on Monday, January 23, 2023, the Alberta NDP renewed its calls for an independent investigation into the matter.

NDP member Rakhi Pancholi said the allegations are extremely serious, and if Smith doesn’t know what the staff in her office are doing, she shouldn’t be premier.