Montreal police commander, inspector relieved of duties after criminal allegations surface

A Montreal police inspector and commander have been relieved of their duties after criminal allegations have come to light, said Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichetin an letter that was sharedon Twitter Wednesday afternoon.

Pichet wrote he was informed of the allegations by provincial police.

"I've made the decision to relieve them of their duties starting immediately, for an indefinite period, until everything is brought to light," saidPichetin that tweet.

The officers suspended are Internal AffairsInsp. Martin Renaud and Cmdr. Pascal Leclair, who worked with the Montreal police organized crime unit,sources toldCBC'sFrench-language service, Radio-Canada.

• Deputy director of Montreal police relieved of duties during whistleblower inquiry

La Presse reported on Wednesday morning that Leclairfailed to disclosea conflict of interest during a previous investigation.

The newspapersaid Leclair was promoted to lead a unit that was investigating the harassment of a female officer in 2011, and Leclair failed to disclose his personal relationship with the officer in question not only to the Montreal police, but as well, totheSret du Qubec, which wasassisting the investigation.

In May 2012, an investigator working on the file learned of the relationship. The investigation was then transferred to another unit.

According to Radio-Canada sources, Leclair'ssuspension is tied toLa Presse's report.

Officers relieved of duty multiplying

At the start of March, the deputy director of the Montreal police, Bernard Lamothe, wasrelieved of his functions for the durationof an investigation into allegations that internal affairs investigators fabricated evidence to keep officers quiet about corruption within the force.

• Quebec calls inquiry into 'systemic' problems in Montreal police service

That decision came a little more than a week afterQuebec's public security ministerlaunchedan inquiry into what hecalled"systemic"problems within the Montreal police service.

Pichet has already asked all internal affairs investigationswhich are not currently in front of a tribunalto be transferred to a group of investigators made up of several police forces including the SQ and RCMP, as well as a number of municipal forces.