Winnipeg police said former New Democratic MP Romeo Saganash is accused of sexual assault.

The police added that they arrested Saganash on June 27 in connection with an allegation from May 1 in Winnipeg, and the case is now before the courts.

Saganash represented Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou in northern Quebec from 2011 to 2019, serving as the critic for Indigenous affairs.

He did not respond to a request for comment sent by the Canadian Press via email on Friday, but APTN, which first reported the news, stated he confirmed the sexual assault charge to them. The federal New Democratic Party also did not respond to a request for comment.

Saganash was a survivor of residential schools and works with the National Advisory Committee on Missing Children and Unmarked Graves, established by the federal government and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg.

A spokesperson for the centre also said that Saganash no longer holds that role and did not mention why or when he stepped down from that position.