One-time federal privacy commissioner George Radwanski -- along with his former chief of staff, Arthur Lamarche -- has been charged with fraud and breach of trust.

Radwanski had resigned the position in 2003 after a scandal erupted in the wake of an audit earlier that year.

Eddie Greenspan, Radwanski's lawyer, said the RCMP laid the charges in Toronto late Tuesday.

Sgt. Monique Beauchamps of the RCMP told CTV News that both men were co-operative with investigators during the arrest process.

The Mounties made their investigation of Radwanski public more than two years ago after federal Auditor General Sheila Fraser referred the matter to them.

Greenspan said it was unfair to do that and leave a cloud hanging over his client.

However, now that the charges have been laid, Radwanski will now get a chance to clear his name, he said.

Both Radwanski and Lamarche are scheduled to appear in Ottawa provincial court on April 2.

Greenspan claims the RCMP investigation has uncovered no new information that wasn't known in 2003.

Fraser discovered more than $500,000 in improper travel and hospitality expenses in the privacy commissioner's office.

Radwanski, who was paid $210,000 annually, described the report as "vicious personal attack" that was filled with distortions.

However, Radwanski, once a speechwriter for former prime minister Jean Chretien, saw his $82,562 severance package reduced to nothing after deductions for cash advances, improper vacation pay and inflated travel and hospitality expenses.

The government has already obtained about $200,000 in reimbursement from Radwanski and his former staff.

Parliament found Radwanski in contempt in November 2003.

Reaction

Jane Taber of The Globe and Mail said she was surprised by the charges, because the story made headlines so long ago.

"I had totally forgotten about Radwanski and his (alleged) spending habits," she told CTV's Canada AM on Thursday.

On Wednesday, NDP MP Pat Martin told CTV Newsnet's Mike Duffy Live that "the auditor general found a pretty cavalier attitude towards spending of the public purse by the privacy commissioner. ...

"There were lots of violations of Treasury Board guidelines, violations of the Financial Administration Act, and what the auditor general called 'keeping all of this under wraps,' by orchestrating an absolute reign of terror over his staff so they wouldn't come forward," he said.

Martin said, "Radwanski seemed to typify everything that was wrong with these Ottawa mandarins who seemed to have a licence to wretched excess.

"It's actually gratifying for some of us who were there to see criminal charges laid," he said.