A Canadian general now facing a court-martial over an alleged sexual relationship with a subordinate in Afghanistan tried to obstruct a probe of the matter by asking the woman in question to retract her statement and delete e-mails, the military charges.
Accusations of an attempted cover-up by Brigadier-General Daniel Ménard were released Tuesday by the Forces as it announced he'll face a court martial trial on charges of inappropriate conduct and obstruction of justice over allegations he had a prolonged affair in the theatre of war.
Brig.-Gen. Ménard, who until late May was Canada's top commander in Afghanistan, is alleged to have carried on sexual relations with a non-commissioned officer, Master Corporal Bianka Langlois at Canada's Kandahar Airfield base. MCpl. Langlois has already been found guilty of "conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline," fined $700 and reprimanded.
A charge sheet released by the Forces Tuesday alleges sexual relations between the general and master corporal spanned five and a half months: from Nov. 15, 2009 to April 27, 2010.
The general was married to someone else at the time of the alleged affair but the military's anti-fraternization policies treat all types of romantic entanglements equally. The Forces ban all forms of sexual relations in the field, even between couples, to prevent an erosion of discipline and cohesion among soldiers fighting a war.
The Canadian Forces is now alleging that Brig.-Gen. Ménard tried to thwart an investigation by asking MCpl. Langlois twice to withdraw a statement she'd made admitting to the relations. A charge sheet released by the military says he made the request two times in late May, 2009 - around the time he was relieved of duty and a formal investigation began.
"He, on or about 28 May 2010 at Kandahar Airfield, did willfully attempt to obstruct the course of justice relating to an investigation of his conduct by requesting ... Master Corporal Langlois, B., to withdraw her statement that she had engaged in sexual activity in theatre with him," the charge sheet reads.
The military also alleges the general tried to get MCpl. Langlois to destroy potential evidence. It says in the charge sheet that Brig.-Gen. Ménard requested on May 28, 2009 that she "delete e-mails exchanged between the two." A day later, the charge sheet alleges, he approached a major in the Forces and requested the officer ask MCpl. Langlois to erase e-mails the two had sent each other.
The general faces four counts of obstructing justice contrary to the Criminal Code. Each charge carries a maximum 10 years in prison as a penalty.
Retired colonel Michel Drapeau, an expert in military law, said he's never heard of such a senior officer being charged with an alleged cover-up like this before.
"He is in a world of hurt if they can prove any of that," Mr. Drapeau said.
He said the anti-fraternization directive is supposed to ensure nobody in theatre feels one soldier is being treated better than another because of romantic relationships.
Mr. Drapeau said he is a surprised the military is treating Brig.-Gen. Ménard so harshly because the officer has already suffered the disgrace of being relieved of command. His treatment, the military law expert said, will be noticed worldwide.
The fraternization allegations are not the first time controversy has dogged the general.
He was fined $3,500 in May for accidentally firing his rifle at Kandahar Air Field in March, an incident that took place in front of his boss, Chief of the Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk. Nobody was injured, but the incident qualified as an offence under the National Defence Act.
At the time of the alleged affair, MCpl. Langlois was part of the administrative team at the headquarters of Joint Task Force Afghanistan.
In June, Brig.-Gen. Ménard, who is married with two children, was demoted to a staff position heading a personnel project at National Defence headquarters. His wife is a major who has commanded a logistics company in Quebec.
Brig.-Gen. Ménard, who was promoted to brigadier-general on Jan. 1, joined the Canadian Forces in 1984 and was posted to the Royal 22nd Regiment where he initially served as a platoon commander. He rose quickly through the ranks, serving in the United Kingdom, Berlin, Germany and Bosnia. He assumed command of Task Force Kandahar in November, 2009.
Steven Chase