Canadian intelligence officer charged with espionage

Jan 17, 2012, 9:39 GMT

Montreal - A Canadian navy intelligence officer with access to sensitive NATO information has been charged with spying in a case that could hurt the country's image among allies.

The prosecution accused Sub-Lieutenant Jeffrey Paul Delisle, 40, of passing secrets to an unnamed foreign entity, court documents filed Monday showed.

The alleged incidents occurred between July 2007 and as recently as this month. Delisle was arrested at his home in Bedford, Nova Scotia, on Friday.

The Globe and Mail newspaper reported that Delisle worked as an officer at the Royal Canadian Navy's HMCS Trinity centre in Halifax. The centre analyzes intelligence for Canadian and NATO forces operating in the North Atlantic.

Former counterintelligence officer Michel Juneau-Katsuya told Canadian Broadcasting that Delisle would have had access to highly sensitive military information.

'The Canadian forces and Canadian defence is closely intertwined with our allies. So anything they find out about us, they find out about the others as well,' Juneau-Katsuya said.

He argued that Canada's close military, economic and political ties to the United States made it one of the most attractive targets for spies in the Western world.

'This is the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg,' Juneau-Katsuya said.

Canadian authorities attempted to downplay the political damage.

'Notwithstanding the seriousness of these charges, the RCMP is not aware of any threat to public safety at this time from this situation,' Commissioner Bob Paulson of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.

'This investigation demonstrates that Canada is not immune to threats posed by foreign entities wishing to undermine Canadian sovereignty.'

Security experts have warned that the preoccupation with terrorism has limited Canada's ability to conduct counter-espionage activities.