2 more police officers benched after SQ head suspended

A day after the head of the Quebec provincial police force was suspended, two more police officers have been relegated to desk duty.

On Wednesday, it came to light that Martin Prud'homme, who recently returned to theSret du Qubecafter a year-long stint as interim chief of the Montreal police service,is under investigation.

Prud'homme has not been arrested or charged with any crime.

Accordingto Radio-Canada sources, the investigation has to do with allegationsthat he was involved in leaks to the media.

In October 2017, MNA and former police officer Guy Ouellettewas arrested on suspicion he'd been involved in leaksabout an investigation by the provincial anti-corruption unit (UPAC).

The leak revealed UPAC had been investigating ex-premier Jean Charest and Liberal fundraiser Marc Bibeau.Ouellette was never charged.

• Sretdu Quebec head MartinPrud'hommesuspended following criminal allegation
• Liberal MNA GuyOuellettewas under police surveillance prior to arrest, documents show

The two other officers assigned to desk duty Thursday also appear to belinked to UPACand the investigation into Ouellette.

They are AndrBoulanger, who was the director of operations atUPACunder RobertLafrenire, and CarolineGrenierLafontaine, who was in charge of the investigation intoOuellette, according to Radio-Canada.

'An impact for every police officer'

Retired SQ veteranFranoisDorsaid these kinds of allegations reverberate inthe police force and shake up the public'sconfidence.

"There is an impact for every police officer, active or retired....I'm sad for theSretduQubec," he said.

Dorworkedalongside Prud'homme,most notably on the CdrikaProvencher case in 2007.

"He was a very good police officer," Dor said.

With the government andprovincial police force sotight-lipped about the specifics of the allegations,Dorsaid it's easy for people to speculate.

"Public opinion is so fast ... to accuse, judge and sentence people that there will always be a doubt," he said.

He said the truth needs to come out as quickly as possible, to help restore publicfaith in their institutions.

"I'm still hoping for the truth to come out, and then we can rebuild on that."