Pichet tells security committee he’s victim of grave injustice
Former police chief Philippe Pichet emerged from a marathon session of Montreal’s public security committee Monday afternoon where he told city councillors that he had been the victim of a grave injustice that he had done nothing to deserve.
Pichet, accompanied by his lawyer, Joël Mercier, did not speak to journalists after the closed-door meeting, where he was grilled by members of the committee for more than three hours, instead letting his attorney answer questions.
Mercier refused to divulge what was said in the session, but said Pichet had ample opportunity to tell his side of the story.
“What I can tell you is that we had the opportunity to give in detail the explanations we wanted to give,” he said.
“The next steps are now up to the commission and officials in the ministry,” Mercier added.
In December, Quebec Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux suspended Pichet after a devastating report on his management of the more than 6,000-employee force by former deputy justice minister Michel Bouchard.
Last week, Coiteux released a harshly critical report of Pichet’s performance by interim police chief Martin Prud’homme. At the same time, Coiteux said he was asking Montreal city council and the city’s public security commission for their recommendations on whether Pichet should be dismissed.
Doing so is a necessary first step under the city’s charter before the minister can fire the expolice chief, who has filed a lawsuit against the city to try to get his job back. Mercier refused to comment on a document Pichet presented to members of the public security committee that was leaked to TVA and Radio-Canada, in which he said he had been the victim of a grave injustice and had done nothing to deserve it.
Pichet, who only learned about his suspension on the TV news, according to his account, says Bouchard only spent an hour-anda-half with him before penning the damning report. Since then, no one had asked him for his version of events, he says.
He also claims that as police chief, he raised the idea of having outside investigators look into the force’s internal affairs division rather than having the force investigate itself.
Mercier said there “were questions to which Mr. Pichet responded very well” and the atmosphere was respectful. He added that it was incorrect to refer to Pichet as ex-police chief since he has not yet been formally dismissed.
In February, Pichet, who was suspended with pay, was reassigned to supervise the security guards at Montreal City Hall.
City councillor Alex Norris, chairman of the public security committee, said members would deliberate on Tuesday before making a recommendation on whether Pichet should be dismissed.
Norris said the session brought new information to light, but he declined to give details.
“We will demonstrate profes- sionalism and impartiality,” he said.
While Mayor Valérie Plante’s administration has opened sessions of the public security committee to the public, this one was held behind closed doors because it involves a human resources issue, Norris said.
In his report, Prud’homme said Pichet’s leadership had not reassured “the public on the integrity of the police service of the city of Montreal.”
Even though upper management knew about problems with the force’s internal affairs division, “few significant changes were made to regularize the situation and ensure the sound management of this unit,” he wrote.
He added that many police officers are afraid to speak up about problems within the force for fear of reprisals.
Bouchard’s report into the SPVM’s internal affairs division said several criminal allegations against police officers were not investigated or reported to the government; that officers suspected of misconduct were given preferential treatment; that investigations were botched; and that evidence was deliberately removed.