Deleted emails regarding Highway of Tears nets charges

Charges have been laid against a former BC government employee following a whistleblower’s allegation that he deleted emails connected to information requests about the Highway of Tears investigation into murdered and missing women.

Charged with willfully making false statements to mislead or attempting to mislead British Columbia’s privacy commissioner, George Gretes will appear in provincial court on April 20. Gretes worked as a ministerial assistant in the Transportation Ministry. Gretes was suspended with pay last May.
Privacy commissioner Elizabeth Denham examined the whistleblower’s allegations and referred her report to the RCMP. A special prosecutor appointed by the RCMP approved the two charges under the province’s Freedom of Information and Privacy Act.

The penalty for making false statements to mislead or attempting to mislead the privacy commissioner is a fine of up to $5,000, reports the Vancouver Observer.