OTTAWA (Reuters) – An Ottawa jury on Wednesday found a former top Canadian police intelligence official guilty of charges linked to the leaking of secret information, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported.
Cameron Ortis, a former director general with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who had access to highly sensitive domestic and foreign intelligence, was on trial on six charges, including multiple counts under a 2012 security of information law.
He was found guilty of all charges, CBC reported, adding that prosecutors are expected to seek a sentence in the range of 20 years. A sentencing hearing will be held in early January.
Prosecutors argued Ortis used his position within the RCMP to leak sensitive information, while Ortis claimed during his trial that he was acting to protect Canada from a “grave threat” passed along by a foreign entity, according to CBC.
Canada is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network alongside the United States, Britain, New Zealand and Australia. Security experts have said the case risked Canada’s standing in the network.
A lawyer for Ortis could not immediately be reached for comment.
(Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)