The provincial director of police services independently initiated a request for an investigation into the leak of a health ministry document suggesting ‘safe supply’ drugs were being trafficked, B.C. Premier David Eby says, noting the government cannot interfere in the RCMP probe.
B.C. Conservative MLA Elenore Sturko released the document publicly in February after a whistleblower provided her party with a related slide show presentation created by the health ministry for law enforcement agencies.
The slide show noted that approximately 60 pharmacies were under investigation for trafficking government-funded “safe supply” drugs.
B.C. Director of Police Services Glen Lewis wrote to the RCMP following the leak to order a police investigation.
Sturko was later interviewed by the RCMP anti-corruption unit about the publication of the document.
“If they’re willing to send the police to try to find a whistleblower, you know, what are they going to do if this was a health-care employee or any other member of the community,” Sturko told reporters on May 14.
‘We Did Not Direct This Investigation’
Conservative Party of B.C. leader John Rustad questioned Premier David Eby about the RCMP investigation into who leaked the documents during question period in the B.C. legislature on May 14.
“When the leak revealed the criminal diversion of safe supply drugs, leading to an apparent policy reversal, a police probe into the source was launched,” Rustad said. “This government is actively trying to put a chill on anybody who speaks out against them.”
Rustad then asked Eby to confirm that no one from his office or any ministerial officer gave direction to the police service for the investigation.
Eby said Lewis, who wrote to the RCMP requesting an investigation, had acted independently.
“I canvassed to try to understand whether we were able to intervene in this ongoing investigation and to say that resources would be better directed elsewhere,” Eby responded. “I was advised that we are not able to; police are independently doing this investigation. We did not direct this investigation. This was initiated independently. It’s being conducted independently by the RCMP.”
Eby noted that Sturko should not have received a phone call from police “for doing her job.”
The B.C. government decriminalized a small amount of hard drugs in a 2023 pilot program approved by the federal government. The government reversed its decision after public outcry over drug use in public places, including children’s playgrounds and parks. The province still has a “safer supply” program that is meant to provide regulated opioids to patients with a prescription in a bid to avoid overdoses. The Conservatives have charged the program perpetuates the drug crisis and should be replaced with addiction treatment and recovery models.
B.C. Public Safety Minister Gary Begg said he stands behind Lewis’ decision.
“I think that the director of investigations is fully within his role to act as he did,” he told reporters on May 14.
B.C. RCMP confirmed the investigation in an email to The Epoch Times, saying it was launched under the BC Police Act after “allegations that third party information was released without authority that could compromise an active ongoing investigation.”
The email said investigators spoke with “a number of individuals” to determine the source of the information shared and “if there was a breach of a law enforcement officer’s responsibilities.”
The RCMP said Sturko was not under investigation, adding that the probe was focused on the actions of law enforcement officers.
Sturko called on Eby in a May 14 social media post to “end the witch hunt for the brave whistleblower.”
She added that the police service director should be fired and the public safety minister removed from the portfolio.
