Giuliano Zaccardelli, the former RCMP commissioner, said he stopped a criminal probe into the mishandling of the Mounties’ pension fund.

After testifying in front of the House public accounts committee, he told reporters that when he heard someone was trying to launch a criminal investigation, he cancelled it because it was not appropriate at the time.

Instead, Zaccardelli ordered an audit.

During the hearing, former staff sergeant Ron Lewis, who initiated the criminal investigation, said Zaccardelli had lied about some of the testimony he gave before the committee.

Last week, Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day appointed former Ontario Securities Commission chairman and CEO David Brown to lead an independent investigation into the allegations.

To comment on this story email craig.sebastiano@rci.rogers.com.