Voice of America
15 Sep 2019, 11:35 GMT+10
MONTREAL - A senior Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) intelligence officer arrested this week for allegedly stealing sensitive documents oversaw an investigation into the laundering of stolen Russian funds, Canadian media reported Saturday.
The Globe and Mail said Cameron Ortis' arrest was linked to a major corruption case that was first revealed by Sergei Magnitsky, who went public with details of a $230 million fraud scheme allegedly run by senior Russian interior ministry and tax officials.
Ortis was as recently as August said to be overseeing an inquiry into whether some of the money was funneled through Canada, the newspaper reported.
"Ortis, director-general of the RCMP's National Intelligence Coordination Centre, was planning to meet for a second time with the legal team pursuing the matter alleging more than $14 million in Russian fraud proceeds were tied to Canada," The Globe and Mail said, citing an unnamed source.
Ortis' involvement in the case came after William Browder, a British financier and former investor in Russia whom Magnitsky worked for, filed a complaint with the RCMP in 2016.
Magnitsky died in detention after spending 11 months in prisons in 2009.
Canada's federal police agency hasn't opened a formal investigation into the allegation, despite a 2017 meeting between Ortis and Browder, the newspaper said.
Ortis, who was arrested in the capital Ottawa on Thursday, was a top adviser to former RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson and had control over counter-intelligence operations, Canada's Global News reported.
He faces five charges under the country's criminal code and its Security of Information Act and will appear for a court hearing next Friday.
"The allegations are that he obtained, stored, processed sensitive information, we believe with the intent to communicate it to people that he shouldn't be communicating it to," prosecutor John MacFarlane told journalists after Ortis appeared in court last Friday.
The RCMP fears Ortis stole "large quantities of information, which could compromise an untold number of investigations," according to Global News, which first reported the arrest.
Canada is a member of the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance with Australia, New Zealand, Britain and the United States.
Get a daily dose of Illinois Intelligencer news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Illinois Intelligencer.
More InformationPresident Donald Trump has already warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin against playing with fire US President Donald Trump...
The US president is not being briefed properly about the ongoing situation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said US President...
* Over the past weekend, the federal government's policy banning the oldest U.S. university from enrolling international students sparked...
New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): The Patiala House Court of Delhi on Wednesday issued notice on a plea filed by Tahawwur Rana, a key...
New Delhi [India], May 28 (ANI): The South Korean government plans to provide 250 billion won (USD 182.4 million) in low-interest loans...
The UK and France continue to strategize despite a lack of US support for the proposed mission Doubts are growing over a Franco-British...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: The Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge GarcĂa Cuerva, used a major religious event over the weekend to criticize...
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico: In a first-of-its-kind judicial election in Mexico, more than 5,000 candidates are vying for over 840 federal...
ZERMATT, Switzerland: Five skiers were found dead on a mountain in Switzerland near the popular ski resort of Zermatt, officials said...
TORONTO, Canada - Tens of thousands of people from across Canada have marched in support of Israel in a massive turnout in Toronto....
BOSTON, Massachusetts: U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has taken away Harvard University's right to enroll international...
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he believed God was behind his election loss in 2020, even though he has...