Royal Canadian Navy officer charged with espionage

Sebastian Murdoch-Gibson
News Writer

Canadian authorities placed sub-lieutenant Jeffery Paul Delisle under arrest last week for passing official military secrets to foreign interests. Delisle is the first person to be charged under the Security of Information Act, which superseded the Official Secrets Act shortly after 9/11.

Delisle is currently awaiting trial for breach of trust, communication of safeguarded information, and attempting to communicate safeguarded information. If successfully prosecuted, Delisle will face life imprisonment.

Details remain scarce, but some concerning facts about Delisle’s employment history have come to light. For five years he was posted to the HMCS Trinity communications centre in Halifax, which has been referred to by some media sources as a vital “nerve center” for the Canadian Navy. Additionally, the center would have handled important intelligence from Britain, the United States, and Australia.

Given the nature of the case, authorities have been hesitant to discuss the nature or severity of the breach. The RCMP, which is spearheading the investigation, is not willing to discuss details with media sources; however, Defense Minister Peter McKay has spoken about the matter publicly. He is refusing to speculate on the nature of the leaked information or its destination but offered reassurances that our allies do not suspect that this incident reflects on Canada.

RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson issued a statement stressing that the situation does not indicate a threat to public security. He did make sure, however, to underscore the seriousness of this incident. Last week he was quoted in the National Post as saying, “This investigation demonstrates that Canada is not immune to threats posed by foreign entities wishing to undermine Canadian sovereignty. We must be ever vigilant to the real threat of foreign espionage, and continue investing time and resources into the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of such acts.”

Despite the minister’s refusal to name names, CTV reported last week that the origin of the leak was Russian and that Canada is considering taking measures that may include the expulsion of Russian diplomats.

The Prime Minister appears hesitant to respond to these claims in light of a scheduled visit to Moscow later this year.

Last week, the Globe and Mail quoted a professor of history at the Royal Military College as saying that the case is unprecedented in Canadian history. As an intelligence officer, Delisle would have had access to highly sensitive information.

As clear as the situation may appear, a successful prosecution may carry serious costs regarding the security of sensitive information. In order to convict Delisle, the prosecution will need to take the compromising information as evidence before a public trial. This would, of course, mean further exposing sensitive material.

Delisle entered the reserves in 1996 and became an officer in 2008. The court alleges that he was involved in espionage activities from July 2007 to January 2012.

Tags: canada, espionage, international, spying

Category: News