OTTAWA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion will investigate the allegation that the Prime Minister's Office pressured former Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to help Quebec-based engineering firm SNC-Lavalin avoid criminal prosecution.

According to a statement issued by the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) on Monday, Dion agreed that there are sufficient grounds to begin an investigation into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his office for the alleged special treatment they gave SNC-Lavalin.

"In recent days, Liberal operatives have attempted to smear Wilson-Raybould's performance even though she was widely seen as a credible and competent Minister throughout her tenure," said the statement.

The Globe and Mail, a widely read Canadian newspaper, reported Thursday that the Prime Minister's Office tried to get Wilson-Raybould, the federal attorney general then -- to ask prosecutors to make a deal in the corruption and fraud case against SNC-Lavalin.

According to the report, Wilson-Raybould was unwilling to play along and did not follow through despite the high-level pressure.

Both NDP and the Conservative Party of Canada appealed to the parliament to have an emergency meeting on Wednesday to consider a motion calling on nine high-ranking government officials to testify, including Wilson-Raybould herself. Enditem

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