For the third time, a disciplinary hearing for former Osoyoos RCMP Constable Amit Goyal has been postponed at the last minute. Goyal was suspended in June 2013 and is still being paid. His new date is in July. (File photo)
For the third time in less than a year, a disciplinary hearing for former Osoyoos RCMP Constable Amit Goyal has been cancelled.
The hearing was scheduled to take place Tuesday in Vancouver, but the Osoyoos Times was informed last Friday that it has been adjourned to July 25 to 29.
Previous hearing dates for Goyal were set for last July 28 and Aug. 31, but both were abruptly cancelled days earlier without explanation.
Goyal was suspended with pay in June 2013 following an incident the previous fall when two vehicles were reported stolen from his residence a week apart. The vehicles were later found burned on Anarchist Mountain.
A local man with a criminal record was fingered as the suspect, but was later cleared following an investigation by Trail RCMP in which he passed a lie detector test.
Recently the RCMP revealed for the first time the allegations under the 1988 RCMP regulations that Goyal faces.
Goyal faces three allegations under section 39 and two under section 45 (b).
Section 39 says that a member shall not engage “in any disgraceful or disorderly act or conduct that could bring discredit on the Force.”
It cites as examples conduct “prejudicial to the impartial performance of the member’s duties” or conduct resulting in a finding that the member is guilty of an indictable or summary offence.
Goyal has never been charged with a criminal offence relating to this incident.
Section 45 (b) says a member shall not make a false, misleading or inaccurate statement to a superior officer pertaining to an investigation.
Sgt. Julie Gagnon, in media relations at RCMP national headquarters in Ottawa, said she can’t give specific reasons why Goyal’s hearing has been delayed once again.
“I can tell you that every effort is made for adjudication board hearings to be scheduled in a timely manner,” she said in an emailed statement. “However, these hearings are formal, court-like processes. Much like judicial proceedings, hearing dates, times and locations are subject to change for a number of reasons.”
Among the possible reasons in general for delays, she cited:
• Scheduling conflicts;
• Unavailability of the subject member, the initiator of the allegations, the member’s representative or a member of the discipline board;
• Unavailability of an important witness;
• Unavailability of a hearing venue;
• The need to wait for the outcome of parallel proceedings;
• Inclement weather causing travel delays.
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