OTTAWA- Vice-Admiral Denis Rouleau, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, convened a Board of Inquiry (BOI) to gain a clear understanding of the specific details of the incident of 14 June 2006, in Afghanistan, during which a person in CF custody was handed over to Afghan authorities then taken back by CF personnel.
"The Canadian Forces has always been and remains committed to ensuring that detainees are handled and transferred in accordance with our obligations under international law," said VAdm Rouleau. "Members of the Canadian Forces demonstrate tremendous professionalism in their handling and treatment of detainees."
Rear-Admiral Paul Maddison, Commander of Joint Task Force Atlantic, has been appointed the president of the board of inquiry that will investigate in detail the events that took place on 14 June 2006. The BOI will develop an understanding of the incident, with a view to identifying the rationale for actions taken and reports made by the CF members involved, before reporting their findings to the convening authority.
Vice-Admiral Rouleau also directed that the circumstances surrounding the 14 June 2006 incident and the subsequent passage of this information up the chain of command be investigated by the Chief of Review Services (CRS). The investigation results are expected to be provided to the chain of command by 12 February 2010.
Upon completion of the BOI, a report containing findings and recommendations will be submitted to the convening authority for review, after which it will be forwarded to the Chief of the Defence Staff. The findings, results, and recommendations of the BOI, along with the CRS report, will be made public, subject to the limitations on the release of information imposed by the Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act.
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Note to editors: The Board of Inquiry's Terms of Reference are available on the DND website (http://www.vcds.forces.gc.ca/boi-cde/bid-ced/index-eng.asp).
This Board of Inquiry and CRS investigation are the result of direction given by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Walter Natynczyk, at his 9 December 2009 news conference seeking greater clarity about the flow of information related to the 14 June 2006 incident. Gen Natynczyk's statement can be found at: http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=3217
