Canadian military officer retires, travels to Ukraine amid sexual harassment investigation – National
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Now retired lieutenant-general Trevor Cadieu was set to be sworn in as the head of the army at a ceremony last fall, but that was pushed off as the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service looked into allegations against him. (Phil LaPlante/CBC)
The senior leader of the Canadian Armed Forces has retired and traveled to Ukraine to help protect the country from Russian invasion while an investigation into alleged sexual assault is still ongoing.
The Department of Defense confirmed on Thursday that Lt. Gen. Trevor Cadier retired on April 5 after wearing a uniform for more than 30 years, even as military police continue to investigate his actions.
“His release was carried out in accordance with due process and in accordance with his legal rights of dismissal from the CAF,” said Daniel Le Butilier, a spokesman for the Department of Defense.
“Kadie has not received any CAF support, material or other, since his departure because of his personal efforts.
Several defense sources say Kadye has since traveled to Ukraine to volunteer to fight the Russian invasion, which has been going on for three months now. Sources were not authorized to comment publicly on his whereabouts.
Kadie, who had previously denied any wrongdoing, declined to comment on Thursday, while the Department of Defense declined to confirm his whereabouts.
“Since he is now a private citizen, it would be inappropriate for us to comment on his personal plans,” Le Butile said.
A statement from the Canadian National Guard said the investigation was ongoing, adding: “The release of the member has no bearing on the investigation or their personal travel.”
Global News first reported on February 2, 2021, that former Chief of Defense Staff, General Jonathan Vance, was facing allegations of misconduct by two female subordinates, which he denies.
In the following weeks, military police launched an investigation into Vance, as well as Admiral Art MacDonald, Vince’s successor as Chief of Defense Staff. Vance was subsequently charged on July 15 with obstruction of justice.
Many women also spoke publicly, sharing allegations of high levels of sexual violence in Canadian forces.
The allegations also led to the launch of two investigations by parliamentary committees.
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Defense officials have previously said that members of the armed forces may be charged with crimes allegedly committed even after staying in shape when they retire.
Kadie’s sudden retirement and departure came more than six months after the popular officer was scheduled to command the Canadian Army, with some military insiders predicting his final appointment as chief of defense staff.
The defense chief, General Wayne Eyre, instead quietly resigned as Kadie’s army commander in September after he was notified of “historic allegations” of sexual misconduct by the CFNIS.
The Canadian Army has been without a permanent commander since February 2021, when Eyre was appointed acting Chief of Defense Staff, while then-Chief of Defense Admiral Art MacDonald was being investigated for alleged sexual behavior.
Although McDonald was not charged, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chose to replace him permanently with Eyre. Major-General. Michel-Henri has been serving as Commander-in-Chief of the St. Louis Army since April 2021.
Kadie is one of several senior commanders investigated by military police over alleged sexual assault last year.
These allegations forced the armed forces to use inappropriate behavior. They also drew criticism from the Liberal government over the issue and called for more external oversight of the military.
In a statement issued last autumn, Kadie vehemently denied any wrongdoing, saying: “The allegations are false, but they must be thoroughly investigated to find out the truth.” He said he provided information to investigators to prove his innocence.
The retired officer also said at the time that he had asked Eyre to choose someone else as commander of the Canadian Army, adding: “I know these false claims, as intended, raise doubts about my ability to lead in this environment.”
Kadie’s decision to travel to Ukraine followed Eyre’s order banning service members of the Canadian Armed Forces from joining the thousands of foreigners who have arrived in recent weeks to fight the Russian invasion of the country.
Russia has reportedly threatened to prosecute any foreigner captured in Ukraine, and last month a senior Canadian officer launched a Moscow attempt to use the captured foreign fighters for propaganda purposes.
– Amanda with Connolly files
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