Seven researchers fired from the B.C. Ministry of Health in 2012 have penned an open letter calling for an independent inquiry into the scandal that cost them their jobs.

“We believe that the strength of democracy depends on unbiased evidence, which depends upon an inquiry,” it reads. “We call on the [Health] Minster to commission a thorough and independent inquiry.”

“It should recommend how to restore public confidence that the government is fully engaged in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of prescription medicines,” the letter goes on. “It should provide the public service with reassurance that evidence will be the basis for public policy and for employment practices.”

The letter is signed by Ramsay Hamdi, Robert Hart, Dr. Malcom Maclure, Ron Mattson, David Scott, Dr. Rebecca Warburton, and Dr. William Warburton.

An eighth name on the document belongs to Linda Kayfish, whose brother, Roderick MacIsaac, also lost his job. At the time, he was only three days away from completing research required for his PhD. MacIsaac committed suicide just a few months later.

The ministry dismissed the researchers in relation to what it characterized as misconduct related to the handling of health data. In the nearly three years that followed, a number of investigations into the affair did take place.

The ministry launched an internal investigation. But a later review of that inquiry found it deficient. Furthermore, the second review, which was tasked to the B.C. Public Service Agency and authored by Marcia McNeil, got no closer to assigning responsibility for the firings. The December 2014 report that emerged describes mistakes being made. But McNeil’s inquiry was criticized by the opposition as being deliberately limited in scope.

There was also an investigation and report by the B.C. privacy commissioner. The results of that inquiry were made public in June 2013. That document however downplays the seriousness of the transgressions it found to have occurred and describes nothing that would account for eight people losing their jobs.

In addition, there was a September 2012 press release from former health minister Margaret MacDiarmid wherein she claimed she had asked the RCMP to launch an investigation of its own. But in June 2015, information surfaced that suggests that probe never got off the ground.

Despite all those efforts, the researchers who lost their jobs have charged the government continues to hide the exact circumstances around what happened.

The Ministry of Health has refused more than a dozen interview requests the Straight has filed seeking to discuss the firings.

The open letter released today emphasizes an independent investigation is needed to restore public faith. It describes specific characteristics an investigation should have to ensure it is in fact independent.

“It is our strong preference that the inquiry not be conducted by the Auditor General or any other part of government, given that the Auditor General and many other agencies of government were directly involved in the events that led to the 2012 firings,” the letter reads.

“In order to allow the inquiry to gather evidence, it must have subpoena powers for people and documents, the ability to retrieve deleted documents, and the authority to take statements under oath.”

The letter notes some of the dismissed researchers have since settled lawsuits with the government and, as part of those arrangements, signed non-disclosure agreements that could be affected by the investigation the researchers are calling for now.

“The government may need to release some of us from confidentiality or other obligations,” the letter reads.

On October 3, 2014, Health Minister Terry Lake sent a letter of apology the family of MacIsaac, the researcher who committed suicide. At several other points, the ministry has admitted the affair has been handled poorly. Lake has however refused calls for an independent investigation that have intensified in recent weeks.