OTTAWA - The former commander of Canadian troops in Kandahar province says not enough check-ups were done on prisoners in Afghan jails.
Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche, whose stint in Afghanistan began in the summer of 2007, told a military police inquiry Tuesday he couldn't remember how many times Canadian officials visited local jails during his first few months on the job.
"One thing is for sure, is that there were not enough visits," he said.
Laroche told the Military Police Complaints Commission there were about five allegations of abuse or torture at the time.
But he said none of the claims were substantiated until a Foreign Affairs official discovered found implements of torture during a November 2007 prison visit.
Transfers were temporarily stopped after that visit.
Laroche said in his mind, all allegations, no matter how serious, should be looked into.
"Every allegation should be investigated," he said. "Every time there's an allegation, action should be taken."
Laroche also disputed an allegation made last month by his former Afghan interpreter.
Ahmadshah Malgarai, who served as a language and cultural adviser in Kandahar, told a parliamentary committee Canadian troops used Afghanistan's secret police "as subcontractors for abuse and torture."
But Laroche told the inquiry Malgarai's claim was "totally incorrect," and no such thing happened.
