OTTAWA - The NDP is calling for a public inquiry to probe allegations Canadian officials were complicit in the torture of innocent prisoners in Afghanistan.

Ottawa MP Paul Dewar said yesterday's testimony from Canadian diplomat Richard Colvin before the special parliamentary committee suggests a "massive cover-up" that risks the lives and reputations of envoys and troops on the ground.

"We must be certain the orders they are given are beyond reproach," he told a news conference today.

Only a full public inquiry headed up by a justice will get critical answers for Canadians, Dewar said. Allegations of torture suggest Canada failed to meet global standards and those violations of international law could harm our reputation abroad, he added.

"Torture is never justified. It is always, anywhere, wrong," he said.

Dewar also called it "reprehensible" that Conservative MPs attempted to shred Colvin's credibility by suggesting he was a "patsy for the insurgency."

Colvin testified Wednesday he was instructed to keep quiet about allegations of abuse and told to make verbal instead of verbal reports to avoid a paper trail. Multiple reports filed to various senior officials were ignored.

Conservative MPs said Colvin never saw abuse first-hand and asked why he never raised his concerns with ministers visiting Kandahar.

NDP MP Jack Harris said Colvin's evidence suggests Canadian troops were put in a "perilous legal position" since torture constitutes a war crime. The Conservatives must ensure the truth comes to light with an independent inquiry.

"This government's credibility is going to depend on its ability to clear the air," he said.

kathleen.harris@sunmedia.ca