Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the military commander who used to be brushed aside from his job as head of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, has pleaded now not responsible to a price of sexual assault.
The alleged incident dates to 1988, whilst Fortin was once a scholar at the Royal Army Faculty Saint-Jean.
Army police referred the research to the Quebec prosecution service in Might 2021, simply days after Fortin was far from his assignment as head of Canada’s vaccine job drive.
Fortin’s legal professional, Phillippe Morneau, submitted the not guilty plea at a courthouse in Gatineau, Que. on Monday morning.
A Tribulation date has no longer but been set.
Fortin is concerned in two separate felony court cases — one over the sexual attack allegation and another relating to his attempt to be reinstated as head of Canada’s vaccine campaign.
Fortin is appealing his elimination from the vaccine activity drive. it is not transparent how that challenge may continue since the transient process he was fired from no longer exists.
Executive lawyers have mentioned that learning the pinnacle of the vaccine effort was once being investigated for sexual assault can have undermined Canadians’ confidence within the nationwide vaccine marketing campaign.
Fortin’s felony crew has argued that his elimination was the result of political meddling. He has no longer been reassigned to a brand new position considering his removing, Fortin’s prison group says.
Fortin is one in every of ELEVEN current and former military leaders who have been sidelined, investigated or pressured into retirement over allegations of sexual misconduct over the final yr.