Three Ontario Provincial Police officers have been suspended from duty amid an ongoing RCMP investigation involving the top brass of the OPP union.

On Sunday, the OPP announced that commissioner Vince Hawkes had ordered detective sergeant James Christie, provincial constable Martin Bain and provincial constable Karl Walsh suspended from duty on Friday.

The RCMP investigation alleges that all three high-ranking members of the Ontario Provincial Police Association participated in a sophisticated financial scheme to defraud the union’s membership using a travel company, a consulting firm and risky offshore investments.

The unproven allegations against the top OPPA officials are contained in an affidavit used to obtain search warrants executed by the RCMP late last week.

None of the allegations have been proven and no charges have been laid.

Christie, Bain and Walsh are suspended from the OPP indefinitely and with pay, according to sergeant Peter Leon, provincial media relations coordinator with the OPP.

“There is an investigation… that is underway. So at this point, the suspension is in effect until determined otherwise by the commissioner of the OPP,” Leon said.

Word of the trio’s suspension comes shortly after Walsh’s firing from the union.

An email from Doug Lewis, acting president of the OPPA, to union staff said the Board of Directors met on Friday, March 13 in Barrie and “unanimously approved” a motion to terminate the employment contract of Walsh, the union’s now-former chief administrative officer.

As chief administrative officer, Walsh was responsible for the association’s $70-million budget, and previously served as president from October 2005 to March 2011.

The OPPA represents approximately 6,200 uniformed members and 3,600 civilian staff across Ontario.

The union has hired the law firm Stikeman Elliott to conduct an internal investigation into the alleged criminal ring at its upper ranks, which is “still ongoing at this time” according to Josh Jutras, strategic communications coordinator with the OPPA.

Following Walsh’s firing from the OPPA, Bain and Christie have since taken leaves of absence from the union.

Among the offshore investments the trio allegedly used to profit from and “deceive” union members are two condos in Nassau, Bahamas and over $100,000 of OPPA funds wired to the Cayman Islands to pay for shares in a Cayman-based income fund.

The RCMP affidavit states that the trio’s alleged accomplices include Toronto criminal lawyer Andrew McKay, a former police officer, as well as Noel Francis Chantiam and Klara Kozak, who are partners in First Response, the travel company believed to be involved in the scheme.

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McKay, Kozak and Chantiam are alleged to have committed fraudulent concealment, laundering proceeds of crime and fraud, according to the affidavit.

With files from Wendy Gillis, Rachel Mendleson, Eric Andrew-Gee and Star wire services.

Related links: Key players caught in OPP union scandal