The Royal Newfoundland Police are answering questions about the exorbitant cost of bringing an accused murderer back to the province.
Sheldon Hibbs, arrested in Calgary last March, is accused of killing Michael King in the Waterford Valley area of St. John a year ago.
According to the RNC, the Canadian Penal Code allows accused criminals to be detained for six days so that they can be transported to the jurisdiction in which the charges are brought.
In Hibbs’ case, police say an initial attempt to transport him back to the province led to a ban on the man’s commercial flights. They say that without the option of a commercial flight, police had to consider other options in addition to the 6-day transportation schedule.
After what the RNC called a “series of inquiries,” including the RCMP and several charters, they provided transportation by private jet.
The CBC said the cost of the flight was $ 91,000.
The RNC says the reason Hibbs could not appear in Calgary court was that if the arrest warrant had to be carried out there, the judge in that province would not have the jurisdiction to detain the accused.
Police are consulting with lawyers to exhaust all potential options and say they have acted in the interests of national security, within their legal powers and in the interests of justice for Michal King.
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