Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan acknowledged today that an allegation of sexual misconduct against the country's former top military commander was raised with him three years ago by the Canadian Forces ombudsman.
He confirmed he did not look at the evidence but insisted, however, that he instructed ombudsman Gary Walbourne to use the powers of his office, which would have allowed him to hand over information about the allegation to military police investigators.
Today's dramatic testimony before the House of Commons defense committee marks the first time Sajjan has revealed what took place in a private meeting on March 1, 2018 with the former watchdog. It's also the first substantive account the minister has provided since allegations of sexual misconduct involving Gen. Jonathan Vance first surfaced over a month ago.
Sajjan defended his decision to not look at the information Walbourne presented, saying he was trying to "protect the integrity of the investigation."
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