Achi news desk-
Longueil, Co. –
A retired RCMP officer accused of helping China conduct foreign interference asked a Quebec court judge on Monday to drop an indictment against him because it was filed in the wrong province.
Lawyers for William Majcher argued in a courtroom in Longueuil, Que., on Montreal’s south shore, that the charges should have been filed in British Columbia or Ontario.
“These are two places in Canada where the offenses are alleged to have been committed,” said Louis Blau, a Montreal-based lawyer representing Majcher, who participated in Monday’s hearing via video conference.
“Nothing connects the case to Longui.”
If the application for annulment is granted, this will put an end to the Quebec proceedings.
Majhar, 61 years old, is accused according to the Information Security Law of conspiracy and carrying out preparatory actions for the benefit of a foreign party. Authorities say Majcher, a Hong Kong resident, used his network of contacts in Canada to obtain intelligence or services that benefited the People’s Republic of China. According to his indictment, he committed the crimes in Vancouver, Toronto, Hong Kong and other unnamed locations in Canada, China and “elsewhere in the world.”
His lawyers say that a lawsuit must be filed in a jurisdiction with a specific connection to the crime, offense or offender.
“Obviously we are not seeking a stay of proceedings or any other type of order to end the prosecution of Mr. Majesher,” Blau said.
“The Crown will remain free to lay charges where we believe the charge should have been laid in the first place.”
Blau told the court the defense had asked the Crown to delay the Quebec case and charge Mejcher in B.C., but he said prosecutors rejected that request.
The Crown, for its part, says that a judge from any jurisdiction in Canada can hear cases related to the Data Security Act.
Majcher was employed by the RCMP from 1985 to 2007. He later worked in investment banking in Hong Kong at EMIDR Limited, a company he co-founded, providing expertise in money laundering and financial crime risk.
The Quebec branch of the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team began investigating Mejcher in the fall of 2021, and federal prosecutors based in the province opened the legal case against him.
“Our pretense is that the Data Security Act gives Quebec judges territorial jurisdiction over all of Canada, just like it gives Ontario judges jurisdiction over Canada or it gives British Columbia judges jurisdiction over Canada,” prosecutor Philippe LeGoulet told reporters outside Monday. The court hall.
Majcher was arrested in Vancouver in July 2023 and appeared before a magistrate in Longueuil, who granted him bail. He has not yet entered a plea, but his lawyer told the court his client intends to plead guilty to both charges.
In an interview with CTV News last month, Majcher told the network that he was a “patriot” and not a “traitor” and was willing to contest the charges.
Quebec District Court Judge Sacha Blais will rule on Majcher’s request next month, ahead of the scheduled October trial dates.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 22, 2024.
