With our correspondent in Montreal, Camille Feireisen

The Senegalese diplomat who allegedly was detained and beaten by Gatineau police last week owed more than 45,300 Canadian dollars (34,000 euros or 22.5 million CFA francs) to her former landlord. This is learned from a ruling issued by the Housing Administrative Tribunal (TAL) in June. The ruling stipulates that the diplomat owed this sum due to the condition of the furnished bungalow she was renting, which had mold on the walls and cockroach infestations. She was not present at the housing tribunal hearing.

Independent Police Investigations Bureau investigation

It was finally on August 2 that a bailiff went to her home to enforce the order. Faced with the diplomat's refusal to cooperate, police were called for backup. This was followed by allegations of police violence against the diplomat and the aggressive manner in which she herself allegedly acted, according to the police officers. The Quebec Ministry of Public Security asked the Independent Police Investigations Bureau (BEI), the police oversight body, to investigate these allegations. For its part, the Canadian Ministry of Global Affairs says it is working with its Senegalese counterpart to shed light on this matter.

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