Arabnews24.ca:Thursday 4 February 2021 12:06 PM: The abrupt stay of attempted murder and other charges against doctoral student Mamadi III Fara Camara Wednesday has prompted calls for an investigation by his lawyer, Quebec's opposition parties, Montreal officials and advocacy groups.
Camara, 31, had been accused of disarming and injuring a Montreal police officer with Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) during a routine traffic stop in Park Extension on Jan. 28, and spent six nights in detention before his sudden release Wednesday afternoon.
He had claimed innocence from the moment of his arrest, his lawyers said.
Now, questions are emerging about the circumstances of Camara's arrest, the length of his detention and the impact of the incident on his career and personal life.
On Thursday morning, all the opposition parties at Quebec's National Assembly demanded an independent inquiry into Camara's ordeal.
In a statement Wednesday, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante called for "clear answers about what happened in order to preserve public confidence in police work."
Opposition wants independent investigation
Lionel Perez, Montreal's opposition party leader, went further, calling for an independent investigation "to find out exactly what happened with the SPVM, what kind of report was filed, what kind of evidence was submitted, who signed the affidavit to get a clear picture."
Perez said Camara had suffered days in prison and "has been suspended, perhaps lost his job, his name has been dragged in the mud, his picture has been put online and in a report."
Fo Niemi, who heads the anti-racism advocacy group Center for Research-Action on Race Relations, said an investigation needed to be conducted by an entity other than the Montreal police.
"This is very disturbing for a man of African descent and I think there are questions that must be answered not by the Montreal police, [but] by some independent authority either from the municipal or the provincial," he said. "We strongly urge this man to take legal action and file complaints."
'Very big problem' with identification of suspect
Joanie Chainey, one of Camara's defence lawyers, said her client's treatment was "very concerning" and that the investigation and arrest both seemed to have happened too quickly.
"It was problematic in the way this file was treated," Chainey said. "In our opinion, when we looked at the file, there was a very big problem with the identification of the suspect."
Camara's bail hearing had originally been scheduled for Wednesday morning, Chainey said, but was moved to the afternoon because new evidence had emerged.
At that point, the Crown announced that in light of new information, it would not pursue charges against Camara for now.
Among the evidence was witness testimony and Quebec Transport Ministry video from the area where the incident took place.
"Thankfully, we had a video," said Perez. "This once again demonstrates the necessity of having portable cameras on police officers."
Chainey said her client, who had no prior arrests, was very relieved but likely still in shock.
"The evidence showed he didn't do anything and then he was detained for many days," she said.
Campus officials to meet with Camara
Camara, an engineer by training, oversees a laboratory at Polytechnique Montréal.
His duties there were suspended during the criminal proceedings, and he was barred from campus.
On Wednesday, following the stay of charges, a Polytechnique spokesperson said officials will meet with Camara to discuss his reinstatement on campus and the resumption of his duties.
In an email sent to CBC News, Montreal police said they will issue a statement later today.
