NDP alleges Liberal government interfering in OPP disciplinary hearing

Ontario's New Democrats are accusing the Liberal government of interfering in an OPP disciplinary hearing to protect commissioner Julian Fantino.Fantino's lawyer at the Police Services Act hearing for two senior OPP officers wants the adjudicator to recuse himself from the case.NDP Leader Howard Hampton told the legislature that Fantino's lawyer even boasted that he had support from senior counsel in the Ministry of the Attorney General.On Wednesday, the lawyer told the hearing that the ministry would support an appeal if the adjudicator decided against stepping down.Hampton told the legislature that sounds like the attorney general's ministry is interfering in the OPP hearing, and questioned how there could be a fair hearing.Attorney General Chris Bentley told Hampton he was wrong, and chastised the NDP leader — a former attorney general — for making comments about an ongoing hearing.On Wednesday, a ministry spokesman denied that any decision had been made to support an appeal, and a spokesman for Bentley said the minister had no part in any of the proceedings.