Coquitlam RCMP officer testifies of hope for ‘balanced’ view of actions versus words

By Canadian Press on September 19, 2025.

RICHMOND — A British Columbia RCMP officer facing possible dismissal over a private group chat and messages sent over the force’s data terminals says he hopes his use of inappropriate language is balanced against his actions during years of policing.

Const. Mersad Mesbah is one of three officers stationed at the Coquitlam, B.C., detachment facing allegations of discreditable conduct at a hearing over their comments.

An RCMP conduct authority lawyer at the hearing in Richmond, B.C., asked Mesbah about “disparaging” comments about a female complainant and a female colleague that the lawyer says showed “hatred” toward women.

Mesbah says he made jokes in bad taste and comments out of frustration and anger, but says they’re not “representative” of how he’s conducted investigations.

He says he went above and beyond on numerous files involving domestic violence, sexual assaults and child abuse, and he hopes his policing is taken into account in consideration of his case.

Mesbah says he didn’t speak English when he arrived in Canada from Iran, and wasn’t “alert to” the level of vulgarity conveyed by a four-letter term he used and now that he is, he says he’ll “never use it again” in his life.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2025.

The Canadian Press