Disgraced former Canadian general Daniel Ménard freed from Afghan jail

The former Canadian general who once headed Canada's military mission to Afghanistan before retiring in disgrace has been freed from an Afghan jail after about a month in custody.

Daniel Ménard, who had been working for a civilian security contractor in the country, was arrested in January, reportedly on gun-running charges, but was released this week, CBC News reported Wednesday, citing a statement from his employer.

Afghan authorities reportedly accused the former brigadier-general of illegal possession of military equipment, including 129 rifles and 148 radios.

Montreal-based GardaWorld, which touts itself as the largest private security company in the world, had said Jan. 30 that the issue had been resolved and Ménard soon would be released. It confirmed Wednesday he was free, CBC News said.

"This situation was about the administration of a license, as we disclosed previously, and not about gun-running," GardaWorld spokesman Joe Gavaghan said in an email to CBC News.

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It's the latest chapter in Ménard's star-crossed life as a soldier and security consultant.

Ménard led Canada's combat troops in Kandahar from November 2009 until he was brought home in 2010 after being accused of having a sexual affair with a female master corporal during their Afghan deployment, in violation of military regulations barring fraternization.

Ménard was facing a court martial on two counts of conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline – one of the counts related to Ménard trying to hamper the investigation. He opted to plead guilty and retire from the military in December 2010. He was fined $7,000 and demoted to the rank of colonel.

In a separate case, Ménard also pleaded guilty to mishandling a weapon when his rifle accidentally went off while he was loading it as he and Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of the defence staff, were boarding a helicopter at Kandahar Airfield. No one was hurt.

[ Related: Court Martial Convened for Retired Brigadier-General Ménard ]

Ménard subsequently was hired as GardaWorld's managing director in Afghanistan, where he was reportedly responsible for security contracts with the U.S. government, non-governmental and commercial clients, CBC News said.

A security consultant told CBC News that Ménard may have run afoul of tougher rules imposed by the Afghan government in recent years covering the licensing and tracking of weaponry and other military-spec equipment by private security contractors. Mistakes in record keeping can trigger an arrest, Alan Bell said.

"They will arrest usually the country manager because he is the one that is on the ground all the time," said Bell, who has worked in Afghanistan.

"They've arrested a lot of [expatriates] over the years and they fine then, they fine the company. They usually confiscate the equipment that wasn't registered with them, and then you carry on business as normal."

Ménard has also been caught in the backwash of the brewing controversy in Ottawa over high moving expenses charged by some retiring armed forces officers.

The Canadian Press reported this week Ménard claimed almost $40,000 to move his own property to the United Arab Emirates, where GardaWorld has the headquarters for its international protective services division.