Major General Dany Fortin maintains that the army no longer wanted him

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In a statement posted Wednesday on his LinkedIn profile, retired Major General Dany Fortin maintains that the army offered him a job when he was cleared of any wrongdoing and then withdrew the offer. (Archive photo)

The Canadian Press

Retired Major-General Dany Fortin maintains he wanted to return to work after being acquitted following a trial for sexual assault last December, but the army did not want his return.

In a statement posted Wednesday on his LinkedIn profile, Mr. Fortin expressed concerns about how the military handles allegations of sexual misconduct in general and his file in particular.

A source close to Mr. Fortin, who spoke on condition of anonymity , said that a small reception to mark his departure took place last Friday in Ottawa.

Mr. Fortin was accused of sexual assault in August 2021 following a complaint made to the military police by a woman with whom he had attended the Royal Military College of Saint-Jean, in Montérégie, in 1988.

Major-General Fortin had previously been removed from his position as head of Canada's COVID-19 vaccine administration program after the investigation was opened.

Mr. Fortin claims in his post that after a judge found him not guilty and the military cleared him of any wrongdoing, the Armed Forces offered him a job then withdrew their offer.

Defense Minister Bill Blair told reporters he could not speak about the matter because the government reached an out-of-court settlement with Mr. Fortin last month in a civil lawsuit he filed.

The major general accused 16 senior officials, including the prime minister and the chief of staff, of negligent investigation, inappropriate public disclosure of private facts, x27;breach of trust and conspiracy to cause damage.