SAINT JOHN, N.B. – The police force investigating the death of prominent New Brunswick businessman Richard Oland say in an affidavit that the release of search warrants could jeopardize their work.

The affidavit by the Saint John police was released today after a hearing was held in provincial court to determine whether the search warrants should be made public.

In the affidavit, Const. Stephen Davidson says he’s concerned that releasing some details contained in the search warrants could weaken investigative techniques and possibly identify some of the people interviewed by police.

Davidson, the lead investigator in the Oland case, says 378 exhibits have been seized and 243 of them require forensic analysis.

He says it has been a time-consuming process dealing with the RCMP forensic laboratories, adding that some items still need to be sent for analysis more than a year after Oland’s death.

The 69-year-old Oland was found dead in his Saint John office on July 7 last year.

Police have concluded that his death was a homicide, but they have not said how he was killed.