A former Ontario Power Generation employee has been arrested under a national security law after leaked information put critical nuclear infrastructure “at risk.”
The RCMP announced Feb. 16 it had arrested an individual who is accused of leaking “safeguarded information” that could harm Canadian interests.
“Evidence indicates that the individual acted with intent to put critical infrastructure at risk,” the RCMP said in a press release.
While the RCMP did not release the suspect’s name, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada told The Epoch Times the accused is James Mousaly.
Public Prosecution Service of Canada spokesperson Nathalie Houle said in an email that Mr. Mousaly has been charged under the Security of Information Act and has appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice in Oshawa.
Details about Mr. Mousaly are scant due to a publication ban put into effect at the time of the Feb. 10 arrest. Sunshine list stats show that a man named James Mousaly in 2022 held the position of nuclear operator at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), which is headquartered in Oshawa.
OPG, which is owned by the provincial government, operates the Pickering and Darlington nuclear power plants, and owns two others that are leased to Bruce Power. OPG is responsible for roughly 50 percent of the province’s electricity generation.
The Crown corporation said in a Feb. 20 statement that public safety had not been compromised by the security breach.
“Our nuclear stations utilize sophisticated security technology and intelligence to keep our facilities and communities safe. This includes robust, ‘defense in depth’ security systems to ensure we are prepared to pre-empt or respond to any situation,” OPG said in the release.
“These systems worked: immediately upon identifying an information breach, OPG and RCMP implemented measures to mitigate and manage any further unauthorized disclosure.”
A former OPG employee was accused of sharing security vulnerabilities online earlier this year, according to a Global News report.
He was subsequently charged under a section of the act that forbids deliberate or reckless communication of information the government has “taken measures to safeguard” from a foreign entity or terrorist group. The RCMP did not say exactly how the information was shared or whom it was shared with.
The suspect faces life imprisonment if convicted.
The RCMP said it is continuing its investigation into the matter, but stressed it has no reason to believe the public or the environment have been put at risk.
“Immediately upon identifying the breach, the RCMP acted to remove access to the information and to mitigate and manage any further risk of unauthorized disclosures,” the agency said, adding that it is still assessing “possible impacts of this alleged activity.”
