Achi news desk-
Longueuil, Co. –
A Quebec court judge has ruled that the case against a former RCMP officer accused of aiding China in foreign interference can proceed in the province.
Judge Sasha Blais rejected William Majcher’s bid to drop the indictment against him.
The 61-year-old’s lawyers argued in April that the charges should have been filed in British Columbia or Ontario rather than Quebec, which has no specific ties to the alleged violations.
But Blais says the law makes it clear that an offense against the Data Protection Act can be tried anywhere in Canada, regardless of where it was committed.
Majhar, who was present at the video hearing, is accused according to the act 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.
His indictment states that he committed the crimes in Vancouver, Toronto, Hong Kong and other unnamed locations in Canada, China and “elsewhere in the world.”
The case returns to court in June in Longueuil, Que., south of Montreal, and the trial is scheduled for October.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 8, 2024.
