OTTAWA - The federal Conservatives continue to fend off accusations that they covered up knowledge of abuse of detainees who were turned over to Afghan authorities by Canadian soldiers.

Liberal Leader Stephane Dion says a revelation last week that a civilian was being abused at the hands of Afghan authorities in June 2006 is proof enough for him that ministers in the Conservative government knew about it.

But government House leader Peter Van Loan says that case wasn't at a prison where Taliban suspects are detained.

Rather, Van Loan told the House of Commons that Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan intervened to save the civilian after seeing him being mistreated in the field.

Reports of the June 2006 incident, taken from court transcripts, caused an uproar in the Commons on Friday.

Col. Mike Noonan described the incident last week during cross-examination in a court proceedings initiated by Amnesty International.