The senior officer who led Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign will reconvene in a Quebec courtroom on Monday to respond to allegations of sexual misconduct.
Major-General Dany Fortin was charged with one count of sexual assault in August 2021, in connection with an alleged incident that occurred in 1988.
Mr. Fortin has been seeking to return to his position at the Public Health Agency of Canada, or obtain an equivalent position, since he was abruptly removed from his position in May 2021.
His layoff came five days before military police announced they had assigned an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct to the Quebec prosecution service.
In challenging his dismissal in Federal Court, Mr. Fortin, who maintains his innocence, accused Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other senior members of the Liberal government of ousting him for purely political reasons.
His lawyer, Natalia Rodriguez, said the appeal regarding his reinstatement is expected to be heard by a hearing panel in the spring.
This article was produced with the financial support of the Facebook and The Canadian Press News Fellowships.
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