Retired RCMP officer charged with alleged China foreign interference

globalnews.ca:

Royal Canadian Mounted Police, has been charged in connection with alleged foreign interference activities “to benefit” China following a two-year investigation, the national police force says.The 60-year-old from Hong Kong appeared in a Quebec court virtually on Friday to face charges laid under the Security of Information Act.He is charged with one count of preparatory acts for the benefit of a foreign entity, and one count of conspiracy.“According to the investigation, Mr.

Majcher allegedly used his knowledge and his extensive network of contacts in Canada to obtain intelligence or services to benefit the People’s Republic of China,” RCMP say in the press release announcing the charges.None of the allegations have been tested in court.An investigation by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) was launched in fall 2021 regarding Majcher’s suspicious activities, the RCMP said.The release says that “it is alleged that (Majcher) contributed to the Chinese government’s efforts to identify and intimidate an individual outside the scope of Canadian law.”The charges come as Canada continues to reckon with foreign interference in the country, which has ranged from allegations of Chinese attempts to meddle in elections to using so-called “police stations” to monitor and threaten Chinese nationals or those with family in China.Over the last few months, CSIS and other Canadian security agencies have detailed in public and to Parliament how they say they are cracking down on Chinese interference efforts in Canada.RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme told a House of Commons committee last month that more than 100 investigations into obvious foreign interference are underway in Canada, adding that police stations