Former Canadian Space Agency (CSA) scientist Wanping Zheng arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2021 as part of an investigation into his ties to a Chinese satellite company, has been acquitted of abuse of power charges. confidence Friday morning at the Montreal courthouse.
Judge Marc-Antoine Carette rendered his decision Friday morning at the Montreal courthouse. According to the magistrate, Mr. Zheng’s conduct certainly deserved disciplinary sanctions, but the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it constituted a crime.
This is a setback for the Canadian counter-espionage apparatus, at a time when a public commission of inquiry is studying China’s interference in Canadian affairs in Ottawa. When Wanping Zheng was arrested in 2021, an RCMP official said it was a case of foreign interference from China.
The prosecution’s thesis was that Wanping Zheng used his key position at the Canadian Space Agency to further the interests of the Chinese company Spacety, by contacting Canadian companies and enticing them to work for the Chinese company. These partners were in a position of dependence on the Canadian Space Agency and one of them came to tell the court that he felt bad refusing, because he did not want to offend Mr. Zheng, whom he needed to his projects.
Mr. Zheng particularly wanted a Canadian company to help the Chinese firm install a satellite communications ground station in Iceland. He also approached another Canadian company about the construction and launch of around fifty satellites for the benefit of the Chinese firm.
Following the end of his career at the Canadian Space Agency, Mr. Zheng became Vice-President at Spacety.
Mr. Zheng did not testify at his trial, but the Crown released a video recording of statements he made to police after his arrest in 2021. The man said he was loyal to Canada, the country where he immigrated after leaving China. He explained that he simply wanted to promote international cooperation in the field of space exploration.
“I have done nothing to harm the country. I’m trying to help the country,” he told an investigator on the video.
The prosecution was represented by Me Marc Cigana and Me Samuel Monfette-Tessier, of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. The defense was provided by M.e Andrew Barbacki and M.e Jordan Trevick.