CALGARY - RCMP have arrested a man on criminal libel charges after messages critical of the Calgary Police Service were posted on a U.S. website.
Mounties say the man is accused of making false statements about two officers on the website and interfered with a homicide investigation.
"He made accusations against two Calgary Police Service members that not only injured their reputation, but interfered with an investigation -- allegations of perjury, corruption, destruction of evidence," RCMP Sgt. Patrick Webb said Friday.
John Kelly of Calgary is charged with four counts of criminal libel and one count of obstruction.
Postings on the website also accuse Calgary Police Service leaders of widespread corruption.
RCMP also allege that Kelly, 53, represented himself as a paralegal to relatives of homicide victims in cases that were being investigated by Calgary police.
Webb said it is rare for police to lay criminal libel charges, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.
Webb said police have no legal power to shut down the U.S. website. He said RCMP have asked the owners of the site in New York to voluntarily remove the postings.
The RCMP launched the investigation at the request of Calgary police. Kelly was arrested at his home on Thursday and was being held in custody pending a court appearance on Friday.
Kevin Brookwell, a spokesman for the Calgary Police Service, said people have a right to state their opinions about police, but there are limits to what they can say.
"You can't hide in cyberspace and make comments or allegations when they cross that line where they are starting to interfere with criminal investigations," Brookwell said.
"He had to be held accountable. That is where the line in the sand was drawn and that is where these charges are resulting from."
RCMP and Calgary police declined to identify the two officers named on the website or any details of the homicide case they are investigating.
