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Interim RCMP commissioner Beverly Busson says she supports the government's decision to have an independent investigator look into the force's pension scandal.

"I whole-heartedly support this step," Busson told reporters Thursday.

"Since I began as commissioner three months ago, I have asked to be fully briefed on the developments surrounding this issue and continue to receive briefings."

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said an investigation into allegations of abuse of the RCMP pension and insurance plans, and an alleged cover-up of the internal investigation, will result in a public report within eight to 12 weeks.

Â鶹´«Ã½ has learned that the allegations include the following:

• Senior RCMP members used pension funds for golfing trips to destinations like St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, N.B.
• Of the 65 people who worked at the pension division, 49 were related to senior RCMP members. In some cases, the nepotism involved entire families.

Critics have called for a full judicial inquiry, but Day has countered that would take too long.

"We want answers now, we want answers immediately," he said. "I'm seriously concerned with the information that was presented yesterday at the public accounts committee."

On Wednesday, RCMP personnel stunned the Commons public accounts committee by alleging that senior RCMP management had tried to block their investigation into the possible misuse of the police force's group insurance and pension funds.

"I have personally met with the individuals who have testified yesterday, to listen and hear their concerns," Busson said Thursday.

"I have already taken action in dealing with some of these concerns and will continue to do so until they are resolved. I especially want to fully examine the allegations of coverup ... involving the senior ranks of the RCMP. This new information is serious and I'm determined to get to the bottom of it as quickly and as transparently as possible."

During their testimony Wednesday, current and former officers pointed the finger at former RCMP commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli, among others, for what they called an obstruction of their investigation.

Zaccardelli has denied the allegations.

Serving and retired RCMP officers have been probing allegations of possible misuse of millions of dollars in members' insurance and pension funds, following a scathing report from the auditor general. There have been no criminal charges so far and very few senior RCMP people have been affected.

"Nobody left town with the dough, nobody fled to Mexico, but when you have allegations that things were covered up, that's very serious," Day told CTV's Mike Duffy Live on Thursday.

On Wednesday, some of the investigating officers alleged that some RCMP officers have gone so far as to remove some who were asking uncomfortable questions.

"While trying to expose these wrongdoings, which were both criminal and code of conduct violations, I had face to face meetings and complaints up to and including Commissioner Zaccardelli," alleged Ron Lewis, a retired RCMP staff sergeant.

"I was met with inaction delays, roadblocks, obstruction and lies. The person who orchestrated most of this cover-up was Commissioner Zaccardelli."

RCMP Chief Supt. Fraser MacAulay added: "For the past few years, the RCMP has had a small group of managers who, through their actions and inactions, are responsible for serious breaches in our core values, the RCMP code of conduct and even the Criminal Code."

In blaming the leadership, Lewis alleged, "a culture was created by several senior executives where it was a danger for employees to report wrongdoings."

Before the hearing, the deputy commissioner in charge of human resources, Barb George, stepped down. CTV's Graham Richardson reported that she will move to another job within the force.

On Thursday, Busson said George's "status is under review," but confirmed that she had not been fired from her post.

Conservative MP and committee member John Williams said he found the accusations stunning.

"The orders from the top seem to be, 'Stay quiet, don't say a word. We're the RCMP; we have to be clean or look like we're clean' -- and they're not clean," he said to Â鶹´«Ã½.

Williams said the public accounts committee plans to call Zaccardelli to testify before them within a week.

Â鶹´«Ã½ tried to reach Zaccardelli for comment but was unsuccessful.

Zaccardelli resigned as RCMP commissioner in December after delivering contradictory testimony to another Commons committee about the Maher Arar affair.

Auditor General's report

The allegations stem from a matter already investigated by the Auditor General's office. However, the officers who testified Wednesday said the auditor's timeframe covered only one year, but the problems were spread over several years.

In her November 2006 report, Auditor General Sheila Fraser wrote about fraud and abuse allegations in the management of the RCMP's pension and insurance plans, stemming from 2003.

"In June 2005, the Ottawa Police Service announced that its 15-month investigation had found abuses of the pension and insurance plans, nepotism, wasteful spending, and override of controls by management," the report said.

"Significant unnecessary or wasteful expenditures resulted, including money spent for work of little value. The Crown counsel advised that there was 'no reasonable prospect of conviction on criminal charges'. However, two senior officials of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) resigned, and the RCMP considered disciplinary action against others," the report said.

At the time of that audit, the pension fund had a value of $12.4 billion. The insurance plan had about $30 million on deposit, it said.

Among the report's findings:

• The NCPC (National Compensation Policy Centre) Director established consulting contracts valued at over $20 million, overriding controls to avoid competitions for the contracts. These contracts resulted in some work of questionable value being performed, and excessive fees for administrative services of little or no value being charged to the pension plan.
• About $3.4 million in improper expenses were charged to the plan
• "An estimated $1.3 million was charged to the pension and insurance plans to pay for commissions or products that provided little or no value, and for excessive payments to employees' friends and family members hired as temporary staff." About $270,000 of that had been repaid. 
• The RCMP persuaded the insurance carrier to subcontract work to a second firm to administer insurance plans on behalf of the RCMP. As a result, there was no competition for a $4.6 million contract.

The RCMP found there were grounds to proceed with disciplinary proceedings against four of its members and civilian employees, but didn't do so because too much time had elapsed, the report said.

"The former Director of NCPC told us that, to his knowledge, RCMP staffing and contracting policies and practices were followed," the report said.

With a report from CTV's Rosemary Thompson in Ottawa