Brig.-Gen. Ménard to face court martial
Former Afghan commander accused of inappropriate relationship
Brig.-Gen. Daniel Ménard, who was relieved of command of Canadian troops in Afghanistan in May, will face a court martial, the Department of National Defence said Tuesday.
Ménard was relieved of duty following allegations he was involved in an inappropriate personal relationship while in a theatre of operations.
He faces two charges of conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline, as well as four counts of obstructing justice.
A date and location for the court martial have not yet been set.
The military has strict rules forbidding its personnel from engaging in personal relationships while in theatre. They include relationships of an emotional, romantic or sexual nature.
Ménard had taken over as top officer for Task Force Kandahar in November 2009.
A week before he was relieved of command in Kandahar, Ménard was also fined $3,500 for mishandling a weapon.
He received the fine after pleading guilty to an offence under the National Defence Act in a court in Gatineau, Que.
That incident occurred as Ménard and chief of defence staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk were about to board a Blackhawk helicopter at Kandahar Airfield.
Ménard said he was loading his C8 carbine, something he has done thousands of times, when it discharged. No one was injured and nothing was damaged, but the National Defence Act makes it an offence to accidentally discharge a weapon.