BURST
A Canadian naval officer who allegedly threatened to execute his crew has been docked pay and received a reprimand but most of the details of the incident still remain secret.
During the 2023 incident, the sailors on board Naval Replenishment Unit Motor Vessel Asterix were lined up in three rows at which point the officer allegedly told them he was going to have them shot for poor performance.
In addition, days later another officer was removed from MV Asterix and sent back to Canada after an altercation with a senior Royal Canadian Navy member during a cocktail reception in a foreign port.
In November 2023, the Ottawa Citizen broke the story about the Asterix incidents but defence officials have since remained silent about the two cases.
But in an emailed statement, the Department of National Defence has now acknowledged that the unnamed individuals involved were punished.
One individual was charged with various infractions and a summary hearing was conducted, according to DND. As a result, that person received a reprimand and lost six days pay.
A second individual was charged with various infractions and as a result was given a reprimand and lost ten days pay.
DND declined to provide any other details, including the date of the summary hearings on the Asterix incidents, specific details of the infractions or the names and ranks of the individuals.
DND also declined to differentiate between the two individuals, refusing to say which of the punishments was assigned to the officer who allegedly threatened to execute the crew and which was assigned to the officer who allegedly got into the altercation.
DND also declined to provide a copy of the charge sheets or reports related to the incidents.
The summary hearings were held at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt in British Columbia sometime in 2023.
DND took almost two months to respond to questions asked by the Ottawa Citizen.
DND spokesperson Nick Drescher Brown said in an email the department tries to be as transparent as possible but it must follow privacy law. “Accordingly, no additional information, including names, will be provided,” he stated.
In addition, no information was provided on why the Royal Canadian Navy did not deal with the incidents using the court martial process.
But Vice Adm. Angus Topshee, who commands the Royal Canadian Navy, recently talked about his view on dealing with problem leaders by providing them with guidance and mentorship. “What’s the border line from sort of an aggressive assertive leadership to a toxic leadership style?” he said on the Herle Burly podcast in July. “And how much of that can we coach and manage? So we’ve put a number of different processes in place to evaluate people, and not to say, ‘You’ve failed, you’re done, out you go.’ But to say, ‘Is this something we can help you work through’?”
Sailors originally contacted the Ottawa Citizen because of their concerns about the 2023 incidents and other allegations of harassment and wrongdoing happening on board Asterix, which was operating in the Indo-Pacific region at the time.
In response to questions asked in 2023 by the Ottawa Citizen, DND spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin confirmed that two military members of the Asterix crew were sent home to Canada. “The Canadian Armed Forces is aware of a series of complaints that have been made against a member of NRU Asterix, which allege that this member has been making harmful and inappropriate comments towards his subordinates,” Poulin said of the alleged execution threat.
In the case of the alleged fight at the party, Poulin said the Asterix leadership decided to send that officer back to Canada after an “interaction deemed contrary to the professional standards expected of CAF member.” The member was not on duty at the time of the alleged incident, Poulin said.
The 26,000-tonne MV Asterix is a commercial vessel that has been converted for naval resupply purposes by Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec and leased to the Canadian government by the firm’s affiliate Federal Fleet. Federal Fleet has a civilian crew of 37 who operate the vessel on a day-to-day basis.
The Canadian Forces has its own crew of 107 personnel on board who conduct resupply missions, providing fuel, water and various supplies to Canadian and allied warships. In addition, some military crew members on the supply ship provide medical support.
David Pugliese is an award-winning journalist covering Canadian Forces and military issues in Canada. To support his work, including exclusive content for subscribers only, sign up here: ottawacitizen.com/subscribe