Less than a year after choosing Tanzania as one of its top African partners, the Harper government suffered a blow to its image in the East African country when it was obliged to send home a senior diplomat reportedly arrested for spitting at a policeman.
The diplomat, identified by Tanzanian media as Jean Touchette, will leave the African country "at the earliest possible time" and will return to Canada "in the best interest of all involved parties," the Canadian high commissioner in Tanzania announced yesterday.
The high commissioner, Robert Orr, said the mission "regrets" the incident that took place last week in Dar es Salaam, the Tanzanian capital, where the diplomat allegedly spat at a traffic policeman during an argument while he was driving an embassy vehicle. The incident provoked a formal protest by the Tanzanian government.
Earlier this year, the federal government named Tanzania as one of seven African countries that will be the focus of Canada's African development aid. Canada has contributed more than $1-billion in aid to Tanzania since its independence in 1961, and Canadian mining companies have invested $2-billion in the country.
Mr. Touchette is first secretary (co-operation) at the Canadian high commission. This makes him one of the highest-ranking officials responsible for Canadian aid to Tanzania. Contacted by The Globe and Mail by telephone, Mr. Touchette declined to comment on the incident.
In a statement issued by the Canadian high commission in Dar es Salaam, Mr. Orr expressed regret for "the incident that took place on Wednesday, Dec. 9, involving one of our officials."
"In the best interest of all involved parties, the Canadian official will be leaving Tanzania at the earliest possible time and will return to Canada," the statement said. "It is important to reiterate that Canadian employees posted abroad are held to a high standard of professional conduct in all their relations with officials in their host country."
Dana Cryderman, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Affairs Department in Ottawa, confirmed the diplomat is being sent home. Canada's relations with Tanzania are still "excellent" and will be unaffected by the incident, she said.
She would not say when the diplomat will return to Ottawa or whether he will face further disciplinary action.
Last week, the Tanzanian government lodged a formal complaint about the incident, accusing the Canadian diplomat of "humiliating" the entire nation. According to the Daily News, a Tanzanian newspaper, the diplomat was arrested for allegedly spitting at a senior police officer during an argument in a traffic jam, and later spat at a journalist who tried to film him at the police station.
The case has been forwarded to Tanzania's director of criminal investigations and could result in further charges, the Daily News said.
It said the diplomat had claimed diplomatic immunity and refused to be interrogated by police, but later agreed to be questioned in the presence of the Canadian high commissioner.
Jerry Muro, the Tanzanian TV journalist allegedly spat at by the diplomat, said he wants further action to be taken. "Justice must be done," he told a Tanzanian newspaper.
The website of the Daily News was filled with comments from Tanzanians criticizing the Canadian diplomat. But it also contained comments from Canadians who apologized for the diplomat's behaviour.
Geoffrey York