Who are RCMP protecting?

Page 4

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has ruled the RCMP won't have to reveal the name of their informant in the racist Church of Jesus Christ Aryan Nations.

The cops, it would appear, are getting off easy this time. For those wanting to get to the bottom of what happened the night Carney Nerland shot Leo LaChance through the door of his Prince Albert gun shop, the court's decision is a setback.

The police have justifiable rights regarding their use of informants. It would be very difficult to solve or prevent serious crimes if they didn't have access to information. But those rights can also be abused and the Nerland inquiry may be a case of abuse.

Media speculation has tabbed Carney Nerland as the informant the RCMP want

to protect. If he is not, then the RCMP should be compelled to say so. While that course of action might pose some risks for the force's informant, it would clear Nerland of one suspicion and clear up a fundamental issue at the inquiry.

Windspeaker does not wish to endorse rumors that Nerland has been secretly feeding police information on Saskatchewan's white supremacist groups. But suppose for a moment he was the source.

The fundamental issue at the inquiry is whether Nerland was given unbiased treatment by the system for killing a Native man. Investigating officers on Prince Albert's force would no doubt ask themselves if Nerland's racists beliefs motivated the shooting.

Enter the RCMP. During the investigation, officers from the federal force approached the Prince Albert police with information about an informant in the Aryan Nations.

If that source was Nerland, would the information have influenced the investigation of the Prince Albert police? Would it have given them reason not to investigate Nerland's potentially racist motivations because they believed him not to be

a serious racist?

If Nerland is the source, these questions become very material issue at the inquiry. They put the RCMP and the Prince Albert police in a defensive position.

If Nerland is not the informant, then why should the RCMP be so worried about saying so? By denying the Nerland rumors under oath, RCMP would keep the inquiry on track and lift some of the suspicion surrounding the behavior of the Prince Alberta police.

If it is Nerland, well, we can only ask the question what are you trying to protect? The man is a convicted criminal with hardly worthy connections. The RCMP should be concerned with the rights of the LaChance family and the Native community.

The cops can always find another informant. Leo LaChance is dead forever.