The commander of the Canadian Armed Forces in Latvia, Colonel James Smith, has been temporarily suspended due to allegations of violations of the compensation and benefits system.
The Canadian military police charged Smith on March 31. He is accused of actions that undermine order and discipline, in accordance with the National Defence Act of Canada.
"Today, after carefully considering all significant factors and ensuring procedural fairness, I have decided to temporarily suspend Colonel J. Smith from his position as commander of the task force in Latvia," said Lieutenant General Steve Boaven.
"This decision has been made to ensure continuity of command and effective conduct of operations while the charges against Colonel Smith are being addressed in the military justice system," Boaven stated.
The temporary command of the Canadian contingent in Latvia will be taken over by Lieutenant Colonel Joel Mailey, who is expected to serve in this role until mid-summer, when a new leadership team will begin its work.
"Colonel Smith will be assigned other duties in Canada until the case is resolved," Boaven added.
The investigation into Smith began in May of last year. Neither the Department of National Defence nor the Canadian Armed Forces disclose the specifics of the allegations against him. Boaven's statement notes that "there is currently no additional information that can be released."
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