Here's a Canadian Press story that says he was cleared of those allegations, it's dated 2003.
Forces investigated allegations that a soldier desecrated bodies
Master Cpl. Arron Perry, a Canadian sniper who was on the front lines of fighting the war of terrorism in Afghanistan, is shown examining the remains of a dead al-Qaida fighter in this photo taken March 3, 2002 in Eastern Afghanistan. (CP/Stephen Thorne)
STEPHEN THORNE
OTTAWA (CP) - An internal Canadian Forces investigation has been looking into allegations that a front-line soldier in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan desecrated the bodies of two dead al-Qaida fighters.
The 10-month probe by the military's National Investigation Service concerned allegations that the soldier cut the finger off one body and defecated on another, sources told The Canadian Press. Military officials say the investigation is completed and none of the allegations have been proved. The soldier at the centre of the investigation returned to full duty at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton on Friday after his 10-month paid suspension was lifted.
"The investigation has ceased for the time being due to (lack of) evidence," said Lieut. Walter Moniz, a Defence Department spokesman in Ottawa.
"But if other evidence is brought forth in the future, they can reopen the investigation."
A National Investigation Service spokesman confirmed a probe was conducted based on alleged violations of Section 182 of the Criminal Code - improperly or indecently interfering with or offering any indignity to human remains.
"The allegations were along those lines," said Capt. Mark Giles.
"The NIS did investigate this one very thoroughly. They take these sorts of allegations very seriously. There wasn't deemed to be adequate evidence to proceed with charges. At this point, the case is concluded."
A senior officer at CFB Edmonton said the soldier is back on duty and won't face internal discipline.
"There is no further disciplinary action that will take place in regards to the matter overseas."
Military officials have said the investigation concerned allegations against Master Cpl. Arron Perry, a member of Edmonton's 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. He led a three-man sniper detachment through some of the Afghan campaign's fiercest fighting.
Perry acknowledged in an interview that he was the focus of the probe but has denied all of the allegations "100 per cent."
"These allegations were false from the beginning. A 10-month investigation went on and they are still false."
Perry returned to work Friday but was there just an hour - long enough to collect his orders.
He said he plans to take some leave. The suspension didn't allow him to leave the Edmonton area and now he needs to take care of personal business, he said.
"I'm just taking care of my mind right now," said Perry. "Because when I go on that base, I don't feel myself. So I'm making sure that I am mentally OK."
Perry was also accused of setting up a so-called trophy photo of one of the bodies days after the Canadians led a March 14 attack in eastern Afghanistan.
Previous reports of the Perry investigation have focused on an allegation that he placed a cigarette in a dead man's mouth and a sign on his chest reading Fuck Terrorism. He at one time had also been facing court martial for allegedly threatening a military chaplain, but the charge was dropped last July.
But several sources have told The Canadian Press the investigation was looking into far more serious allegations.
Sources said the investigation started after other soldiers came forward with the accusations that two al-Qaida corpses had been desecrated.
One was killed by an American air strike and the other by U.S. soldiers who stormed a cave-and-bunker complex that had been discovered by Canadian reconnaissance troops. Perry and two other Canadian snipers were part of the attack.
Moniz wouldn't confirm specifics of the investigation, but said any such alleged incident would be reprehensible.
"I can tell you, this is certainly not something that we condone."
Lt.-Col. Pat Stogran, commander of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, asked for the NIS investigation into the allegations after the troops finished a five-day sweep of a mountain known as the Whale at the tail end of the U.S.-led mission called Operation Anaconda.
The call for an investigation came within a day of the troops returning to Bagram in northern Afghanistan after at least one soldier came forward with information about indignities to corpses.
Investigators, including forensic and DNA experts, along with security and burial details, returned to the mountain site about 35 minutes' flight from Bagram several days after the main assault force had returned March 17.
Giles said investigators had just two hours on the site. They collected DNA and took photographs.
A week later, Perry's tent at the battle group's base in Kandahar was searched and a knife, a pocket tool and other objects were seized. Giles said they didn't link DNA from the seized items with the dead men.
"The NIS took this seriously and believed there to have been a likelihood that an offence had occurred," said Giles. "But during that time frame there were as many as 100 Canadian and American soldiers that passed by.
"Who knows who could potentially have been involved?"
Investigators were told the alleged incident occurred when most Canadian troops had been taken off the mountain, leaving five snipers and a few other soldiers alone without air support.
The corpses lay about 40 metres away, out of sight, along with the rotting carcass of a donkey.
Investigators were told that at some time during the evening, Perry returned to the group with a finger from one of the bodies.
"He had it in a Baggie - a Ziploc Baggie - and held it up in front of the guys," said one soldier, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The snipers, said the soldier, had joked with some American troops before they were deployed that the Canadians would bring them back a souvenir.
"It was all on the pretense that (Perry) was bringing it back as a joke," said the soldier, who was questioned by military officials conducting the investigation.
"It crossed a lot of moral boundaries."
Investigators were also told Perry bragged that he had defecated on the body of another al-Qaida fighter whose head had been blown off during the fighting.
A military source who spoke with the men who were present that night said they were disturbed by what they saw.
"They were just grossed out by the thing."
Perry admitted there was some joking with American soldiers about the headless body, but he vehemently denied doing anything to the corpse.
"There was a joke about it," he said.
"I said . . . 'You know the slogan I'll rip your head off and shit down your neck?' We joked about that."
Perry also denied allegations put to him by investigators that he used a shovel to hack off the finger of the other body.
"I did not do that. To the best of my knowledge, no one . . . did anything like that. In fact, I think that's part of the way he died, honestly. There was a big chunk out of the side of his hand. There was a wound to his midsection."
Another soldier who was present during the time of the alleged incident supported Perry's version of events.
"Nobody took any parts off of anyone," said the soldier, who was also questioned by investigators.
Perry was charged with misconduct and sent back to Edmonton on April 4 after he was alleged to have sworn at a chaplain at the base in Kandahar.
Perry has said publicly he was merely venting frustration with fellow soldiers near his tent when the chaplain walked by. He admitted he swore, but said it was in conversation with his compatriots and was not aimed at the chaplain.
Perry also denied any involvement in placing the cigarette or the anti-terrorism sign on the dead body of an al-Qaida fighter or taking pictures of the body.
The Canadian Alliance defence critic, Leon Benoit, expressed confidence in the military justice system and praised officials for acting quickly and decisively to investigate allegations.
"I'm thrilled that the investigation has been dropped," said Benoit. "Something like this would reflect badly on his whole unit, so it was really important that it was cleared up.
"I think the military handled it right in calling an investigation right away because allegations had been made. It's too bad it wasn't handled like that in Somalia."
The Canadian military has been sensitive to any allegations of misconduct by its soldiers ever since a civilian was tortured and killed by members of the Canadian Airborne Regiment during a 1992-93 peacekeeping mission to Somalia. Before killing the teenage Somali who was caught on the base, soldiers took "trophy photos" of the victim - pictures that later became public and sparked a high-profile investigation.
A report by a public inquiry offered 160 recommendations for reform, including improved leadership training and a better selection process for leaders.
The Airborne Regiment was disbanded as a result of the Somalia debacle, although many former Airborne members served with the Patricias in Afghanistan. Perry, 31, is a former Airborne member who served four overseas tours with the military but never in Somalia.
Perry is one of the Canadian snipers being considered for U.S. Bronze Star medals for saving dozens of Americans during Anaconda.
The five snipers faced intense combat for days on end. After eight days taking enemy mortar and machine-gun fire with American 101st Airborne troops, they returned to Bagram for a day before heading out again with the Canadians.
© The Canadian Press, 2003