The top Canadian soldier in Afghanistan, Brig.-Gen. Daniel Ménard, has been relieved of duty and ordered home immediately, accused of having an inappropriate personal relationship with a female soldier.

An investigation has been launched into the conduct of Ménard, who is married. Until next week, the forces in Afghanistan will be commanded by Col. Simon Hetherington, the deputy-commander of Canada's 2,800 soldiers in the country.

An official in Defence Minister Peter MacKay's office said the allegations against Ménard involve a member of his staff.

Hetherington told reporters at Kandahar Airfield that Lt.-Gen. Marc Lessard, commander of Canadian military stationed overseas, decided to relieve Ménard of his duties after he lost confidence in his capacity to command.Hetherington declined to comment on specifics of the allegations.

“As soon as Lt.-Gen. Lessard was made aware of the allegations, which was the 29th of May, he did the proper assessment and made the decision to have him relieved,” Hetherington said.

Ménard received the news Sunday morning in Afghanistan.

The military has a strict non-fraternization policy for deployed troops, forbidding personal relationships of an emotional, romantic or sexual nature.

National Defence spokesperson Lt.-Col. Chris Lemay told the Star by phone from Ottawa Saturday night that the female soldier might also face reprimand after an investigation is complete. “Measures will be taken,” he said.

The news came only days after Ménard faced a court martial in Canada, where he pleaded guilty to accidentally firing his weapon twice at the Kandahar airbase in March.

The incident occurred as Ménard walked with Canada's chief of defence staff, Gen. Walter Natynczyk, on his way to a helicopter.

His fine, imposed by a military judge in Gatineau, Que., was $3,500 — the stiffest fine handed down for mishandling a weapon.

Brig.-Gen. John Vance will take over the mission.

While Ménard's sudden removal will have no impact on the service of Canadian troops in Afghanistan, a defence expert said, it could permanently damage Ménard's career.

“For all intents and purposes, it's a career stopper,” said Stuart Hendin of the University of Ottawa.

To show there is no double standard in terms of intimate relationships, Ménard would most likely face a “harsher penalty” than a rank-and-file soldier, Hendin noted.

“There might be a feeling of ‘If the top can act like this, why can't we do it at the bottom?'” he said.

Hendin stressed that the allegations against Ménard have not been proven.

Hendin doesn't' believe the dismissal will affect the Afghan mission as a whole.

“Operations don't rest on one person,” he said.

“It will probably cause him to be the subject of substantial ridicule within the ranks, but what effect it will have on the actual operating ability of Task Force Afghanistan is probably minimal. They're entering the fighting season, the plan is already in place.”

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Ménard is the second high-ranking Canadian military officer to be relieved of his command in recent months.

Col. Russell Williams, former commander of CFB Trenton, faces charges in the deaths of two women, the sexual assault of two others and dozens of break-ins.

With files from Star wire services

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