The allegations in opposition to Cadieu mark the latest in a series of damning claims made against senior officers who are being investigated for misconduct over the last few months.
In a joint statement, the Department of National Defense and the Canadian Forces reportedly said the acting chief of defense staff, General Wayne Eyre, was briefed on the investigation two days before Cadieu was scheduled to take command of the army.
Military police confirmed Wednesday they have been investigating Cadieu, but said no further details would be provided.
Cadieu has reportedly denied the allegations.
“The allegations are false, but they must be investigated thoroughly to expose the truth,” he stated in a release. “I believe that all complaints should be investigated professionally, regardless of the rank of the accused.”
Cadieu said that upon learning of the investigation, he asked the country’s temporary top soldier to “consider selecting another leader” for the army.
In February, military police opened an investigation into former Chief of Defense Staff Jonathan Vance on allegations of sexual misconduct. Vance was reportedly charged with obstruction of justice in connection with the misconduct probe.
Vance’s replacement, Admiral Art McDonald, was also the subject of a sexual misconduct investigation. McDonald was put on administrative leave after no evidence was found to support the charges against him, according to military police.
According to opposition leaders who have reportedly requested the resignation of Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan, the controversy over Cadieu highlights the failure of the Liberal government to eliminate sexual harassment in the military.
Sajjan and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were noted to have “consistently failed service women – and Canadians – by appointing and protecting men who are not equipped or not interested in changing the status quo,” Canada’s New Democratic Party leader, Jagmeet Singh, said in a statement.