A handful of Ottawa's most senior bureaucrats are ultimately responsible for deciding which Afghan detainee records to withhold from a watchdog probing transfer-to-torture allegations, an inquiry has heard.

Deputy ministers at departments including Foreign Affairs, National Defence and Public Safety set direction for the file, the Military Police Complaints Commission was told Monday. They're advised by Justice lawyers and work with an equivalent from the Privy Council Office, the bureaucratic arm of the Prime Minister's Office.

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