Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is accusing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police of protecting former prime minister Justin Trudeau from potential criminal charges during past controversies, a claim the RCMP and federal government strongly deny.

In an interview posted on the YouTube channel Northern Perspective, Poilievre alleged that the RCMP “covered up” what he described as scandals tied to Trudeau’s time in office. He said several incidents “should have involved jail time,” pointing specifically to the 2019 SNC-Lavalin affair and a 2016 family vacation at the Aga Khan’s private island, which the federal ethics commissioner later ruled violated conflict-of-interest rules.

Speaking to reporters in Toronto, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme rejected suggestions of political interference, saying the SNC-Lavalin matter “was discussed quite a lot” under the previous government and that investigators acted independently. Duheme invited Poilievre to meet with him directly to discuss his concerns about the force’s leadership.

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree called Poilievre’s comments “deeply irresponsible,” saying Canadians can have full confidence in the RCMP’s independence and integrity.

The dispute underscores renewed political tensions over how Canada’s federal institutions handled ethical controversies during Trudeau’s time in office, which remain a recurring issue in the opposition leader’s attacks on the Liberals.