Manitoba RCMP have charged a man and a woman after an investigation found youth witnesses in a criminal case were being intimidated and threatened.
Mounties say the investigation began in June and officers learned the threats stemmed from a man who had been charged with crimes against the youths in 2019.
Supt. Michael Koppang says the man was in custody at the time, but was helped by people outside with the goal of getting the charges dropped.
The woman and man were charged in August with obstructing justice and intimidation of a justice system participant.
Koppang says in a separate case, a man was arrested in July after a bomb threat at a courthouse.
He warned against any attempts to undermine the course of justice.
“We wish to put anyone considering similar actions on notice that threats and intimidation tactics aimed at subverting justice are not and will not be tolerated,” Koppang said Wednesday.
The bomb threat turned out to be a hoax, but RCMP have described it as reckless and dangerous. An anonymous person called 911 on July 30 and said there was a bomb in the washroom of the Steinbach courthouse, about 60 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg.
A suspicious device was found but it was not a bomb.
Christian Peter Jaques, 41, from Richer, Man., was charged.
Koppang said RCMP are not releasing the names of the man and woman charged with intimidation of witnesses because those involved are youths who were traumatized by the actions of the suspects.
“We will go to extraordinary lengths to protect victims of crime, to safeguard witnesses and to ensure the safety of our officers,” he said.
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