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Later, some of the girl’s companions repeated the allegations to the hotel security who in turn contacted the local police and the girl repeated the allegations to police, resulting in the false arrest, incarceration and prosecution of the two men in Cuba, says the writ.

After the father travelled to Cuba and spoke with his daughter, he repeated the false allegations to the police and prosecutors as well as to Canadian diplomats, the RCMP and to Ontario Provincial Police, say the officers, who were held in Cuba for about 10 months.

“As a consequence … Mark and Jordan have suffered expenses and loss and damages, including damages to reputation and privacy, loss of career advancement opportunities and loss of income and other special damages which will be particularized before trial,” says the writ.

In November 2018, a five-person judicial panel in Cuba acquitted the men of criminal charges that had been laid against them. The acquittal was appealed but the appeal dismissed by the Supreme Court of Cuba, allowing the officers to return to Canada.

Following an investigation, the B.C. police complaint commissioner found there was enough evidence to proceed to a disciplinary process for the two men. That proceeding, which is not open to the public, is ongoing.

Reached for comment Friday, the father said he had not yet been served with the lawsuit and added he was “astounded” that the officers would file a lawsuit with the evidence and witnesses in the case.

“Probably the worst thing is that a lot of the information, DNA evidence and all that kind of stuff, was not released from Cuba. Their defence seems to be different in Canada as to what it was in Cuba. I’ll leave it at that. I’m not going to say too much. I’m going to let my lawyers speak for me and for my daughter. ”

kfraser@postmedia.com

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