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EDMONTON — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is walking back comments he made to the ethics commissioner about his personal knowledge of the handling of Afghan detainees after being accused of “downplaying” his role in the process.

Ethics commissioner Mary Dawson wrote on Tuesday that Sajjan may have downplayed his role and knowledge of the handling of Afghan detainees when he denied any involvement whatsoever with such prisoners.

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On Wednesday, Sajjan insisted he was not involved in the detainee process when he was deployed in Afghanistan but did not deny “any knowledge relating to the matter,” as he had previously said to Dawson.

“I had contacts with the governor and many other officials like many (personnel) of the Canadian Armed Forces during that time. I made it very clear that I did and I’ve also made it very clear that I was not involved in the detainee process,” said Sajjan, at a news conference in Edmonton.