Investigation into use of Larry’s Gulch now headed to RCMP

FREDERICTON – New Brunswick’s Attorney General is referring the use of government-owned Larry’s Gulch fishing lodge to the RCMP.

The provincial government announced in the spring that a retired RCMP officer would do an internal review into the use of the fishing lodge and whether “public funds were used to support political goals.”

On Friday, the Office of the Attorney General revealed Serge Rousselle has sent the former RCMP officer’s findings to police.

“The findings were presented to the Office of the Attorney General and, based on those findings, the decision was made to refer the matter to the RCMP,” the office said in a statement.

Reviews into the use of the lodge started after it was discovered the 2013 guest list for Larry’s Gulch lodge after a request by a newspaper editor.

An investigation was also done by the information and privacy commissioner, who released her report in July. Anne Bertrand found that government officials did intentionally conceal information.

Shortly after, Energy Minister Donald Arseneault told reporters the case had been forwarded to the public prosecution’s office for review to see what action could be taken.

READ MORE: Larry’s Gulch case forwarded to public prosecution’s office 

“The law has been broken,” he said. “They altered these documents when they were told not to because it’s against the law.”

In July, one of the former government officials involved in the altering of the list, was fired from his new position with Newfoundland and Labrador’s PC party.

The party issued a one-sentence statement announcing it had parted ways with Darell Fowlie.

NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the alteration of government documents was being reviewed by RCMP. It is, in fact, the review into the political use of the lodge.

READ MORE: NL Tories fire former N.B. government staffer Darell Fowlie after Larry’s Gulch report released

READ MORE: “Serious concerns” about handling of Larry’s Gulch documents

READ MORE: N.B. government reviewing Larry’s Gulch guest lists after questions of list being altered