This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, contravened some conflict of interest rules when he accepted a vacation last year on a private island belonging to the Aga Khan, the country’s ethics watchdog said on Wednesday.

The conflict of interest and ethics commissioner, Mary Dawson, said Trudeau contravened a rule on gifts when he accepted the use of the island in March and December 2016, while there were ongoing official dealings with the Aga Khan and the Aga Khan Foundation Canada was registered to lobby Trudeau’s office.

“The vacations accepted by Mr Trudeau or his family could reasonably be seen to have been given to influence Mr Trudeau in his capacity as prime minister,” Dawson said.

Justin Trudeau’s holiday on Aga Khan’s island comes under investigation Read more

While Trudeau says the Aga Khan is a family friend, Dawson found the exception for gifts from friends did not apply.

Trudeau said he accepted her report and would clear future vacations with the watchdog.

“I take full responsibility for it. We need to make sure that the office of the prime minister is without reproach,” Trudeau said.

Trudeau and his family vacationed on the island in late December 2016 into January this year, while members of his family and their guests traveled there in March 2016.

Trudeau has come under fire from the opposition, who have said the luxury Bahamas vacation was inappropriate and showed the Liberal government is out of touch with average Canadians.

The opposition has also accused Finance Minister Bill Morneau of being in a conflict of interest for not putting his assets in a blind trust. He has since said he will do so and has divested his stock in his family business.

Trudeau has said he has known the Aga Khan, Prince Shah Karim Al Husseini, since childhood. The Aga Khan, the title held by the leader of the Ismaili branch of Shi’a Islam, was a pallbearer at the funeral of Justin’s father, former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

Trudeau also contravened the rules when he and his family travelled in the Aga Khan’s private helicopter last December and when his family traveled on a non-commercial aircraft chartered by the Aga Khan in March 2016, Dawson said.

Trudeau also went against the rules by not recusing himself from discussions that “provided an opportunity to further private interests associated with institutions of the Aga Khan”, the investigation found.

However, Trudeau did not discuss any parliamentary business with the Aga Khan or his representatives, the report said.