Vancouver Police Department (VPD) officer Kalwinder Dosanjh has released a statement through his lawyer denying any wrongdoing.

Dosanjh was arrested last week and is facing nine charges involving at least 19 alleged victims.

The veteran VPD officer denies the allegations and says he looks forward to defending himself in court.

“I have complete confidence in my legal counsel and in the Canadian justice system, and I will allow the evidence and the facts to speak for themselves,” he wrote.

Dosanjh says he remains committed to the community he has served throughout his policing career.

“I have dedicated more than 26 years of my life to serving this community. That work remains deeply important to me, and I intend to continue supporting the community I have served for so many years,” he said.

The arrest followed a lengthy investigation conducted by the VPD.

Dosanjh’s lawyer, Joven Narwal, says he has concerns about the decision to have the VPD investigate one of its own officers rather than appointing an external agency.

“Last week, the institution Mr. Dosanjh has served for his entire professional life revealed that it had been investigating him through its own investigators,” Narwal said in a statement.

“That raises legitimate concerns about investigative independence, objectivity and the safeguards used when a police department investigates one of its own members, particularly in a case the department itself has framed as a matter of public trust.”