OTTAWA—In an Ottawa courthouse, where daily law-and-order dramas play out before judges, one court proceeding now underway could land on Justin Trudeau’s doorstep just as Canadians get ready to go to the polls.At the centre of the case is Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, a top-ranking officer charged with breach of trust for allegedly leaking confidential details of a cabinet discussion about a supply ship contract.Like the SNC-Lavalin controversy that has dogged the Liberal government since February, Conservative MPs charge that the Norman case also involves political interference — in this case, to make a senior naval officer the fall guy for an embarrassing political leak.“To the Liberal government, he was a problem, and now he is being set up. It is shameful,” Conservative MP Erin O’Toole told the Commons earlier this month.“Canadians should be outraged. This is worse than the SNC scandal. We may have issues with bad practice by a company, but here is a Canadian who gave three decades of his life to his country, and before that grew up in a family serving the country, who is being hung out to dry,” said O’Toole, a lawyer and a veteran himself.Opposition MPs wonder if evidence of political interference in the Norman trial lies somewhere in the emails and notes written by senior government officials and now sought by his defence team.Read more:Suspended Vice-Admiral Mark Norman’s lawyers target federal minister BrisonCrown in Mark Norman case rejects notes, allegations of political influenceTop bureaucrat wrote 60-page memo to Trudeau about Mark Norman case, lawyer saysNorman, who was the vice-chief of defence staff, arrives for each court appearance in full dress uniform, with an array of medals accumulated over more than three decades of service. They include Commander of the Order of Military Merit, which recognizes “outstanding meritorious service and demonstrated leadership in duties of great resp ...
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