*Ottawa: *
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Friday that they hadarrested a senior intelligence officer for allegedly stealing sensitivedocuments.
Cameron Ortis faces five charges under Canada’s criminal code and itsSecurity of Information Act, the federal police agency said in a statement.
“The allegations are that he obtained, stored, processed sensitiveinformation, we believe with the intent to communicate it to people that heshouldn’t be communicating it to,” prosecutor John MacFarlane toldjournalists after Ortis appeared in court on Friday.
Canada’s Global News reported that Ortis, who was arrested Thursday, was atop advisor to former RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson, and had control overcounter-intelligence operations.
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is campaigning for a second term inoffice, told reporters at an election rally “I can assure you that theauthorities are taking this extremely seriously,” without commentingfurther.
His opponent Conservative leader Andrew Scheer said it was “extremelyconcerning that a senior RCMP intelligence officer has been arrested forleaking national security information.”
“This is another reminder of the threats we face from foreign actors,” saidScheer, who is tied in the polls with Trudeau. -APP/AFP
