Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday appointed the former governor general, the king’s representative in Canada, to investigate allegations of Chinese interference in the last two federal elections, AFP reported.

David Johnston’s appointment comes after weeks of pressure on the government to explain the country’s intelligence leaks about Beijing’s alleged attempts to interfere in the 2019 and 2021 elections.

In a series of articles published by the Canadian press, it is said, in particular, about the secret financing or participation in the campaign of certain candidates. The Chinese authorities “strongly” deny these accusations.

As an independent special rapporteur, at the end of his inquiry, Johnston will make “specialized recommendations on how best to protect our democracy and maintain Canadians’ trust in it,” the prime minister said in a statement.

Justin Trudeau also promised to follow and implement these “public recommendations, which may include a formal investigation,” as demanded by opposition parties.

The appointment of a special rapporteur was announced at the beginning of March by the Prime Minister, who also appointed two commissions to investigate possible foreign interference.

Before being appointed as Queen Elizabeth II’s representative to Canada from 2010 to 2017, David Johnston was a civil servant and law professor.

He also advised former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper during a public inquiry into a conspiracy to secure the purchase of a large number of Airbus aircraft for Air Canada, the country’s largest airline.