The head of Canada’s covid vaccine program has stepped down amid a military investigation that is reportedly linked to an allegation of sexual misconduct.
It was announced on Friday that Major-General Dany Fortin had left his role with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) as the military general in charge of the logistics of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout and is now the subject of a military investigation.
The nature of the investigation into Fortin has not been revealed though Global News claimed to have confirmed “that the investigation is linked to a sexual misconduct allegation dating from before Fortin was a general” and that the probe is being led by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS).
RT reports: According to the Canadian Department of National Defence, CFNIS is “a specialized unit within the Canadian Forces Military Police Group” and its members have received special training “in areas such as sexual assault investigations.”
The original Department of National Defence statement on Friday claimed Fortin had “left his assignment with the Public Health Agency of Canada, pending the results of a military investigation,” and that the department had “no further comment” on the matter.
Several sexual misconduct investigations into Canadian military officers have taken place this year, including two former chiefs of the defence staff: Army General Jonathan Vance and Navy Admiral Art McDonald.
Around 43% of the Canadian population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.