Former soldier fights to get job back

A former Edmonton reservist who was found not guilty of sexual assault in 2009 is still fighting to get back into the military.

"I've tried to go through the proper procedures, chain of command. I've tried to let them come forward and do the right thing and as of yet that hasn't really occurred," Orman Savage said Monday.

"I'm not going to give up. I'm not going to stop and they're going to have to do something. They're going to have to do the right thing."

In October 2009, a jury found Savage, a former master corporal, not guilty of assaulting a female recruit at a July 2004 party. This was Savage's second trial, held after the Alberta Court of Appeal overturned an earlier conviction.

According to an agreed statement of facts entered at the second trial, the military police investigation was plagued by mistakes. Evidence, including a t-shirt belonging to the complainant, was not seized or sent for DNA analysis.

The scene of the alleged attack wasn't checked for forensic evidence or sealed until mid-August. Witnesses weren't interviewed in a timely fashion, nor was the complainant kept apart from her mother, who was a potential witness in the case, the court document said.

After more than a year, the military has launched an investigation into how the case was handled by military police. Savage has also hired a lawyer in hopes of recouping some of the approximately $250,000 he spent in legal fees.

"We're still waiting for somebody to come forward and say, 'Yes, this is wrong. Here's some recompense,' " Savage said.

Military officials were not available for comment Monday because of the holiday.