Aug. 13, 02:00 EDT
Report could tarnish military
Allan Thompson
OTTAWA BUREAU
OTTAWA - Canada's armed forces will likely get another black eye with today's release of a report by military Ombudsman Andr� Marin.

In 300 pages, the ombudsman reviews complaints by a communications officer who alleged he became subject to reprisal after accusing a senior officer of acting improperly.

Capt. Bruce Poulin was a speechwriter at army headquarters in 1996 when he wrote a memo to then deputy army commander, Maj.-Gen. Bill Leach, saying he saw another officer harass a female officer.

The officer Poulin accused of wrongdoing was Col. Serge Labb�, who led the ill-fated 1993 Canadian Airborne Regiment mission to Somalia. On that mission, one Somali was mysteriously shot dead, another was tortured and killed and a coverup alleged. An investigation took place and the regiment was disbanded.

Poulin alleged Labb� had sexually harassed a waitress at a mess in the military college Labb� commanded that Poulin attended.

Eventually, military police cleared Labb� of the allegations and dismissed the claim Leach had failed to properly investigate the charges initially.

Leach has since retired from the forces. Labb� continues to serve.

In a July, 1996, memo - which Leach later said he never saw - Poulin said he saw Labb� making unwanted sexual advances toward the young woman in the college mess.

Poulin says he hand-delivered his 1996 memo to Leach. Excerpts from Poulin's diary, later given to military police, suggest he also told then chief of defence Maurice Baril.

No probe was launched until Poulin's memo was leaked to the media in 1998. By then, Leach was a lieutenant-general and the army commander.

Military police then probed the allegations against Labb�. They separately investigated whether Leach mishandled the investigation but apparently waited several months before seeking a copy of Poulin's memo, which mysteriously disappeared.

Poulin was accused of leaking information to the media. In a news release, he said he found himself ``alone and isolated'' after his allegations became public. ``I had dared to question the behaviour of the `best colonel in the army' . . .'' he said.

ethics my ***

Master Blaster, you called it.

Ubique

[ 15 August 2001: Message edited by: Grubby ]

[ 15 August 2001: Message edited by: Grubby ]