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Charges laid against AWOL soldier
Stephen Thorne
Canadian Press
April 18, 2005
OTTAWA -- Charges have been laid against a former Special Forces soldier who disappeared while on leave in Thailand 21 months ago, the military announced Monday.
Sgt. Montgomery Paisley, an explosives expert who turned up at the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok on April 7, faces three charges, desertion, absence without leave and theft of a laptop computer containing bomb-making information.
All charges have been laid under the Code of Service Discipline, meaning Paisley will face court martial even though he was officially discharged from the service in December 2004.
"Sgt. Paisley is being held in custody and has been examined by a medical doctor,'' said a Defence Department statement. "He is entitled to legal counsel and contact with his family.''
In late July 2003, the New Brunswick native cleaned out his bank account, sorted out his affairs, and vanished after taking a commercial flight to Thailand.
A 16-year veteran of the military, he had an exemplary record and no signs of personal problems when he disappeared after landing in the southeast Asian country on Aug. 1, 2003.
During an extensive probe, Canadian and Thai investigators found no trace of Paisley before he turned up at the embassy, apparently with document problems.
Thai police detained Paisley before turning him over to members of the Canadian military's National Investigation Service, who travelled to Thailand to fetch him. He arrived back in Canada last Wednesday.
Investigators executed search warrants and interviewed family and friends after Paisley did not return from what was supposed to have been a two-week vacation. They acknowledged at the time they had found "red flags.''
Paisley had been a member of the commando unit Joint Task Force 2 for six years. He had spent a 2002 tour in Afghanistan with a Canadian battle group fighting Taliban and al-Qaida holdouts, based in Kandahar.
The Canadian Forces became particularly concerned about Paisley because his expertise was in explosives and defusing mines and booby traps.
Ottawa informed Thai police about his disappearance before the high-security Asia-Pacific economic summit in Bangkok in the fall of 2003.
While not believed to be a threat, he was thought to be carrying a laptop computer or notebook with bomb-making information. Interpol, the FBI and other international agencies were later alerted to his disappearance.
His trail went cold until he approached Canadian officials in Thailand.
Citing his role in the highly secretive JTF-2 commando status, the military has declined to release Paisley's age, his marital status, his picture or his physical description.
No Comments, just an FYI
GF
Stephen Thorne
Canadian Press
April 18, 2005
OTTAWA -- Charges have been laid against a former Special Forces soldier who disappeared while on leave in Thailand 21 months ago, the military announced Monday.
Sgt. Montgomery Paisley, an explosives expert who turned up at the Canadian Embassy in Bangkok on April 7, faces three charges, desertion, absence without leave and theft of a laptop computer containing bomb-making information.
All charges have been laid under the Code of Service Discipline, meaning Paisley will face court martial even though he was officially discharged from the service in December 2004.
"Sgt. Paisley is being held in custody and has been examined by a medical doctor,'' said a Defence Department statement. "He is entitled to legal counsel and contact with his family.''
In late July 2003, the New Brunswick native cleaned out his bank account, sorted out his affairs, and vanished after taking a commercial flight to Thailand.
A 16-year veteran of the military, he had an exemplary record and no signs of personal problems when he disappeared after landing in the southeast Asian country on Aug. 1, 2003.
During an extensive probe, Canadian and Thai investigators found no trace of Paisley before he turned up at the embassy, apparently with document problems.
Thai police detained Paisley before turning him over to members of the Canadian military's National Investigation Service, who travelled to Thailand to fetch him. He arrived back in Canada last Wednesday.
Investigators executed search warrants and interviewed family and friends after Paisley did not return from what was supposed to have been a two-week vacation. They acknowledged at the time they had found "red flags.''
Paisley had been a member of the commando unit Joint Task Force 2 for six years. He had spent a 2002 tour in Afghanistan with a Canadian battle group fighting Taliban and al-Qaida holdouts, based in Kandahar.
The Canadian Forces became particularly concerned about Paisley because his expertise was in explosives and defusing mines and booby traps.
Ottawa informed Thai police about his disappearance before the high-security Asia-Pacific economic summit in Bangkok in the fall of 2003.
While not believed to be a threat, he was thought to be carrying a laptop computer or notebook with bomb-making information. Interpol, the FBI and other international agencies were later alerted to his disappearance.
His trail went cold until he approached Canadian officials in Thailand.
Citing his role in the highly secretive JTF-2 commando status, the military has declined to release Paisley's age, his marital status, his picture or his physical description.
No Comments, just an FYI
GF
