Harper bodyguard and controversial Mountie gets Jordan envoy’s job

OTTAWA – Prime ministerial bodyguard Bruno Saccomani, the Mountie who faced criticism for his management style, has been appointed Canada’s new ambassador to Jordan.

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced the former RCMP superintendent’s new appointment late today, as one of more than a dozen new foreign service postings.

Saccomani was thrust into the spotlight last year when a leaked internal report raised concerns about the prime minister’s security detail.

The management review included interviews with 41 per cent of the 116-member unit, many of whom reported problems with their boss including intimidation, favouritism, discrimination and harassment.

But RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson has called Saccomani a great officer, and numerous other Mounties have come to his defence.

Canada’s embassy in Amman, Jordan, oversees operations in neighbouring Iraq, which remains plagued by violence a decade after the U.S.-led invasion.