Mayor’s push for public inquiry into Winnipeg police headquarters takes next step

WINNIPEG — The Mayor and his inner circle have officially called for a public inquiry into the scandal-plagued police headquarters project.

Mayor Brian Bowman tabled the walk-on motion at a meeting of the executive policy committee on Wednesday morning.

Bowman said recent allegations surrounding the project are very damaging to public trust in city hall and an inquiry will hopefully restore that trust.

READ: RCMP allegations most seriously damaging to public trust

The motion called for the province to lead the inquiry and broadly examine decision making around the project that could impact other city endeavors.

The issue was first raised in January after court documents revealed new allegations from RCMP.

At that time Manitoba’s Justice Minister Heather Stefanson said in a statement to Global News she wouldn’t be prepared to call an inquiry until the RCMP had wrapped its investigation.

“While our government understands the concerns raised by the Mayor of Winnipeg, it would be premature for the Attorney General of Manitoba to comment on an issue that remains under active criminal investigation. This is vital to ensure the integrity of the process‎.”