Senior soldier once tasked with army command retired while facing sexual misconduct probe

The senior military leader who was poised to take command of the Canadian Army retired from the military earlier this month as an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him continued.

"While I will always seek to remain a force for positive change and help individuals in our military to serve with happy hearts, I recently made the decision to release from the Canadian Armed Forces," retired lieutenant-general Trevor Cadieu said in a statement to CBC News.

Cadieu was set to be sworn in as the head of the army in a ceremony last fall. That was pushed off as the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service (CFNIS) looked into "historical allegations" made against Cadieu, the Department of National Defence (DND) said at the time.

In a statement issued Tuesday, DND spokesperson Daniel LeBouthillier said Cadieu requested a voluntary release and retired earlier this month. He was eligible to retire under federal regulations because he served roughly 30 years with the Canadian Forces. 

Cadieu has denied any wrongdoing.

"I remain the subject of an investigation and am committed to cooperating further with authorities," he wrote in a media statement. "As this process evolves, rather than collect a salary for an indeterminate period of time while the CAF cannot employ me, I have opted to release and am exploring other opportunities to contribute to a greater good.

The Ottawa Citizen, the first to report on the CFNIS probe, reported Cadieu was being investigated in relation to allegations of sexual misconduct.

DND would not comment on the details of the investigation.

"I am grateful to all teammates that literally raised me from the age of 17 and made me a better person and leader. "

Cadieu could still face charges as a civilian if the investigation finds evidence of wrongdoing. Other retired military members have been called back to face courts martial in the past.

Last year, the federal government ordered the military to transfer ongoing sexual misconduct cases to the civilian judicial system. 

A military review recently exposed a loophole that allowed another senior military leader to retire from the navy before facing disciplinary action.

In that case, retired navy commander Danny Croucher underwent a unit-level investigation of claims of sexual misconduct. He retired before being kicked out as "unsuitable for further service," sources told CBC News. Croucher then landed a civilian job at his old military base.

DND says Cadieu's case is different because he's the subject of a military police investigation and could still face consequences in retirement.