Police sought access to 'oral communications and telecommunications' of two La Presse journalists

Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichetis denying thatLa Presse journalists Patrick Lagac and Vincent Larouche were the targets of electronic surveillance, despite court records that name the two journalists.

A copy of a warrant request obtained by Radio-Canada shows the Montreal police wanted access to "oral communications and telecommunications" byLagac andLarouche.

Earlier Saturday, La Presse revealed that Montreal police sought, and obtained, a warrant that allowed themto listen to their "private conversations."

"The Montreal police asked to obtain permission to intercept conversations, my conversations, Vincent's conversations pertaining to a number of individuals,"Lagaclater told CBC Montreal.

Pichetissued a statement Saturday evening that acknowledged two police officers were under electronic surveillance and conversations between the officers and journalists might have been heard as a result.

He said the journalists themselves were not the target of surveillance operations andclaimedthe warrant included measures to ensure the tap conformed to Supreme Court of Canada jurisprudence for protecting journalist sources.

The warrantwasissued May 27 and wasvalid for a 60-day period.It listed 15 people, mostly police officers, as well asthe two journalists.

The warrantmakes reference to an alleged conversation withFayalDjelidi, a member of the intelligence division, LaPressereported Saturday.

Djelidiwas among a number of officerschargedin the summer for perjury.

Articles sparked police concerns

LagacandLarouchesaid the warrant was accompanied by an affidavitthat revealed police believed sensitive information was leaked to the journalists by other officers.

Montreal police were concerned about a series of articles in early 2016 that detailed complaints within itsviolent-crime intelligencedivision.

• Laws on protecting journalists' sources not being followed, says retired justice JohnGomery

Larouche'sarticles cited anonymous sources who allegedthe division'scommander was interfering with their work for political reasons and was the subject of an internal investigation.

Larouchesaid Saturday that the warrant suggests the extent to which Montreal police want to limit the flow of unauthorized information to the media.

"Itshows that they're really concerned about tracking journalists' sources and tracking people who are telling the truth about what's going on inside the department," he said.

• How Montreal police were able to use legal means to track a journalist

Quebec demands action to restore public trust

The Quebec government responded to the new revelations Saturday by demanding the City of Montreal and its police force take steps to restore public trust in the wake of the new revelations of police spying on journalists.

In a statement, Martin Coiteux, the government's public security minister, said he "could not be more concerned" following news that Montreal police sought, and obtained, a warrant that allowed themto listen to conversations between two journalists and two officers who wereunder investigation.

"The authorities of the Montreal police department and the City of Montreal have to displaythe utmost transparency in this case and take actions to restore the confidence of Montrealers in their institutions," he said via his Twitter account.

• Quebec police spying scandal widens: 5 years of call logs and another journalist

Lagactarget of 24 warrants

Earlier this week, La Presserevealed thatLagachad been the target of 24 warrants that allowed Montreal police to track incoming and outgoing calls to his phone.

Those warrants were limited to metadata about the calls, such as phone numbers and GPS locations, butdid not cover their content.

Pichetdefended those warrants, saying on Monday it was an "exceptional situation." Heappeared to rule out that police ever sought access tomore thanLagac's metadata.

"In this case there was never a question of usingelectronic surveillance, nor of physical surveillance, of the journalist," Pichet said during a news conference.

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Police chief accused of lying about phone taps

The latest revelations prompted both the provincial Opposition, the Parti Qubcois, and the Montreal municipal Opposition, Projet Montral, to reiterate their calls for the Montreal police chief to be suspended.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre stood by Pichetin comments to reporters earlier this week. The mayorrefused to comment on Saturday.

Lagac accused Pichet of misleading the public when, earlier this week, he failed to indicate that police wanted to do more than just collect his metadata.

"Its chief is a liar," Lagac said of the Montreal police force.

• Quebec launches commission of inquiry into police spying on journalists

Stephane Giroux, the incoming president of the Quebec Federation of Journalists (FPJQ), expressed similar concerns about Pichet's transparency.

"We're learning that, in the end, Chief Pichet did not tell the truth Monday when he spoke to the media," Giroux said Saturday.

"If that's the case [that there was electronic surveillance], we were lied to and Mr.Pichetwill have to be held accountable."

• La Presse columnist says he was put under police surveillance as part of 'attempt to intimidate'

The Quebec government announced it will hold a commission of inquiryinto police surveillance of journalists. The announcementcame after Quebec provincial police admitted this week they had spied on six journalists, including three Radio-Canada reporters,in 2013.

Montrealpolice said Thursday they had placed an additional journalist under surveillance in 2014, but did not release the journalist's identity.

Larouche, by this count, is the ninth Quebec journalist who mayhave been under policesurveillance.