Montreal police chief suspends high-ranking officer Costa Labos

CTV Montreal: Officer Costa Labos suspended Max Harold reports that Montreal police Chief Pichet has suspended controversial, high-ranking police officer Costa Labos.

Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichet has suspended Costa Labos, a high-ranking police officer and former head of internal investigations, a source confirmed to CTV Montreal.

“Following information provided by the SQ, I have decided to relieve one of my executives," Pichet wrote on his Twitter account.

Pichet did not say what new information he received that led to the suspension. The SQ and the SPVM declined to comment on Thursday.

In 2016, Labos was accused of lying to a judge in order to obtain a search warrant. No charges were laid and at the time Pichet reiterated that he had full confidence in Labos.

In Februrary, the Montreal police department asked the Surete du Quebec to investigate allegations that some officers fabricated evidence to silence whistleblowers.

Labos was head of the Montreal police internal affairs department in 2015, when warrants were issued to listen in on phone conversations of La Presse journalist Patrick Lagace and others.

At the request of the Quebec government, earlier this year Pichet issued a ten-year, 38-point plan to restore public confidence in the police, in part by changing the culture among the 7,000 employees. Part of the plan included reorganizing departments to create less infighting and more transparency.

There are currently more than 20 internal affairs investigations of the Montreal police are being handled either by SQ or RCMP officers.