Questions remain about why legal funding denied to officers in jail-sex case

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – A shroud of mystery still hangs over the denial of legal funding for three RCMP officers accused of sex voyeurism at their Kamloops, B.C., detachment.

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson pulled funding for the trio’s legal defence on Tuesday, but didn’t provide reasons for his decision.

On Thursday, a media spokeswoman for the force listed three criteria that officers must meet in order to have their lawyers’ fees paid.

Julie Gagnon says the criteria includes officers acting in good faith, not acting against the interests of the Crown, and acting within the scope of their duties.

But she would not say how the case differs from previous situations involving Mounties who apparently failed to meet the criteria but received legal funding after being charged with crimes.

In the current case, Cpl. Kenneth Brown, Const. Evan Elgee and Const. Stephen Zaharia are charged with one count each of breach of trust for allegedly watching on video as two women inmates had sex in a jail cell in 2010.