WINNIPEG - Winnipeg police chief Keith McCaskill was a surprise witness at a public inquiry Thursday, testifying he instructed his officers to be honest following a fatal crash that threatened at least one officer's career.

"I wanted them to know ... be honest and be straightforward," McCaskill said.

"Whatever happens, it happens," he said he told them. "Be truthful."

The inquiry is examining a probe by the police force in the bedroom community of East St. Paul into the death of Crystal Taman. Her car was rear-ended on a clear February morning in 2005 by a truck driven by off-duty Winnipeg constable Derek Harvey-Zenk, who had been out all night partying with other officers.

Most charges against Harvey-Zenk were dropped due to lack of evidence. He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and was sentenced to two years of house arrest.

The case has raised questions about a possible police coverup because the prosecution could not produce evidence as to how much alcohol Harvey-Zenk had consumed, despite the fact he was with other off-duty officers all night, first at a restaurant and later at a house party.

At the time, McCaskill was Harvey-Zenk's division commander. He recalled Thursday how he met with two sergeants who had been partying for part of the night with Harvey-Zenk.

"They wanted to come forth and be honest and straightforward and tell exactly what transpired, and I was very pleased about that," McCaskill said. He testified he also told officers at a daily shift briefing in the days after the crash to "be honest and truthful" with investigators.

McCaskill's name was not raised at the inquiry until Tuesday, when the chief of the East St. Paul police force, Harry Bakema, said he called McCaskill right after the crash to tell him one of his officers had been involved.

That prompted an accusation from the Taman family lawyer that McCaskill and Bakema were trying to cover up what happened.

Like Bakema, McCaskill said there was no coverup.

"No. Not at all," he said.

"Is it an absurd suggestion?" asked Hymie Weinstein, Bakema's lawyer.

"Yes it is," McCaskill responded.

McCaskill, who was not on the witness list at the start of the week, said he wanted to testify to clear the air.

The inquiry has already heard about errors committed by East St. Paul police.

They failed to interview some witnesses at the crash site, including a tow-truck driver who was reported to have told the victim's family that Harvey-Zenk's truck smelled strongly of alcohol. And they lost mug shots of several people, including Harvey-Zenk.

Bakema admitted to helping Harvey-Zenk walk to a police cruiser instead of testing him for sobriety and he said he'd never asked him whether he had been drinking.

Harvey-Zenk and Bakema were both removed from their respective police forces.

Harvey-Zenk now lives in Brandon. Bakema sells real estate in Winnipeg.

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