(Longueuil) A judge of the Court of Quebec has ruled that the trial of a former agent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), accused of having helped China to commit foreign interference, can go from before in the province.
Judge Sacha Blais on Wednesday refused William Majcher’s request to quash the indictment against him.
The 61-year-old’s lawyers argued in April that the lawsuits should have been filed in British Columbia or Ontario rather than Quebec, since La Belle Province has no connection to the allegations.
Justice Blais, however, ruled that the law clearly stipulates that an offense under the Protection of Information Act can be judged anywhere in Canada, regardless of where it was committed.
William Majcher, who attended the hearing by videoconference, is charged with conspiracy and committing preparatory acts on behalf of a foreign entity, under this law.
Authorities allege that the former RCMP officer, a Hong Kong resident, used his network of Canadian contacts to obtain information or services that would have benefited the People’s Republic of China.
According to the indictment, he committed the alleged crimes in Vancouver, Toronto, Hong Kong and other unspecified locations in Canada, China and “elsewhere around the world.”
The trial is scheduled to begin in October in Longueuil, south of Montreal.