The federal government launched an investigation involving six departments to track down the source who leaked the $10.5 million Omar Khadr settlement, documents obtained by the National Post under access to information reveal.
Khadr, who was recently released from his sentence by an Alberta judge, was given the $10.5 million after suing the Canadian government for infringing on his rights as a Canadian while being held prisoner at Guantanamo Bay. Justin Trudeau’s government opted to settle rather than letting it go to trial, which Trudeau said could cost even more.
On July 3, 2017, news of the settlement was released to the general public by a “federal insider” who was hunted down by the Privy Council Office for several months after the fact.
When contacted by the National Post, the Privy Council Office did not comment directly on their investigation into the whistleblower saying that they “do not comment on personnel matters.”
It is unclear if the hunt which spanned several months ever singled out the individual who was responsible for the Khadr settlement leak.
Khadr was found guilty of murdering American army medic Sgt. Christopher Speer in 2002 and has a long family history with the terrorist cell, al-Qaeda.
On March 25th, an Alberta judge ruled that Omar Khadr had finished his sentence and is now a free man.
According to a poll around the time of the settlement, a majority of Canadians opposed Trudeau’s actions in the case.
When asked by the Angus Reid institute whether the Canadian government made the right choice compensating with Khadr, 71% of Canadians felt that it was the wrong call.
