SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Iqaluit RCMP officer Const. Kipanik Eegeesiak was charged July 10 with two counts of assault in relation to incidents involving two prisoners.

Eegeesiak is accused of assaulting the two individuals while they were in police custody on May 16, 2009. Eegeesiak was on shift and working general duties that day.

The identity of the two complainants has not been released and RCMP would not comment on the extent or type of injuries the two individuals are said to have received.

"Basically, there's not a whole lot else we can say right now because he (Eegeesiak) is going to court," said Sgt. Jimmy Akavak.

Eegeesiak is scheduled to appear in the Nunavut Court of Justice on Sept. 1, 2009, to face the charges.

Both assault charges were officially laid only after a criminal investigation which began immediately after the alleged assaults were reported. Results from the investigation were forwarded to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC).

From there, a independent prosecutor from Alberta reviewed the information and made the decision that the two charges be laid.

Akavak said the information was shipped out of town for independent review in order to prevent possible bias from a local prosecutor. Such process is standard.

"A lot of the RCMP officers work with the crown here," he said.

"They can't really deal with an officer they know."

Eegeesiak is currently assigned to administrative duties only.

He will not be the only Northern RCMP officer in September to appear in court in regards to assault charges. Const. Colin Allooloo will appear in the NWT Supreme Court that month to face an assault with a weapon charge against a prisoner in custody in Fort Simpson.