OTTAWA, June 27 (UPI) -- Eight Canadian military police officers were exonerated in Ottawa Wednesday for transferring Afghan prisoners into possible torture situations.

The 535-page report by the Military Police Complaints Commission cleared the military police officers, but blasted the federal government and Department of National Defense for weak policies and a lack of cooperation into the investigation, the Ottawa Citizen reported.


Canadian policy is that prisoners may not be transferred to local authorities if there is any likelihood they would be tortured.

Between 2001 and 2008, Canadian soldiers turned over 283 of 439 suspected Taliban or al-Qaida captives to Afghan authorities, government records show.

The commission said military police were not well-informed about policy and the history of the prisoners.

"The situation in Afghanistan was analogous to the police officers of a local detachment or city police force changing entirely every six months without taking serious measures to share intelligence and knowledge on ongoing investigations with the newcomers," the decision said.