RCMP has provided ‘comfort letters’ to firms that help families free hostages
OTTAWA — A senior RCMP official says the national police force has sometimes assured private companies they won’t be prosecuted for dealing with hostage-takers on behalf of desperate Canadian families.
James Malizia, the RCMP assistant commissioner for national security, told a Senate committee Monday that the primary focus for the force is the safe release of the captives.
As a result, the Mounties have provided so-called “comfort letters” to private agencies — such as insurance companies — assisting families, saying they will not be criminally investigated for negotiating with kidnappers.
“If there is anything that we can do during a hostage-taking that could assist or provide a level of comfort for agencies or companies that they won’t be prosecuted or pursued with respect to criminal investigation, we have done that in the past. We have provided comfort letters,” Malizia said during a meeting of the Senate national security and defence committee.