Second Ex-Mountie Named in Foreign Interference Investigation

Members of the RCMP take part in a parade at the Canadian Police Memorial Service on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 25, 2022. The Canadian Press/Patrick Doyle

More arrests could be pending in the foreign interference probe that resulted in charges laid against former Mountie William Majcher, the RCMP said.

Before the charges against Mr. Majcher became public, another former officer named as a conspirator had provided details about the case in an interview with an investigative journalist.

The federal police force announced on July 21 it had charged Mr. Majcher for allegedly using his “knowledge and his extensive network of contacts in Canada to obtain intelligence or services to benefit the People’s Republic of China.”

A court document citing the charges also alleged that Mr. Majcher had conspired with others, including Kenneth Ingram Marsh, reported The Canadian Press.

Mr. Marsh is a 25-year veteran of the force who, like Mr. Majcher, specialized in undercover operations. Mr. Marsh currently runs a security and immigration consulting business based in Vancouver.

On July 14, a week before charges were laid against Mr. Majcher, former Global News journalist Sam Cooper published an interview with Mr. Marsh on his new platform The Bureau. The two discussed potential circumstances leading to interest in Mr. Majcher by security agencies and, by extension, Mr. Marsh.

Mr. Marsh was working on the case of a Chinese national suspected of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in China, which he then used to purchase real estate in Canada. Mr. Marsh reached out to Mr. Majcher in Hong Kong, who reportedly told Mr. Marsh he was working with the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) to pursue individuals through a “connected” individual. Mr. Marsh then met that person in Canada.

He told Mr. Cooper this work probably led to him attracting the attention of Canadian security agencies. He said he is a “good Canadian citizen” and that he hasn’t been used as an instrument by the PSB.

The Epoch Times reached out to Mr. Marsh but didn’t hear back.

Granted Bail

The investigation of Mr. Majcher started in the fall of 2021, based in Montreal. Given his extensive contacts in B.C., he was subsequently arrested after landing at the airport in Vancouver, the RMCP said.

“The evidence leads us to believe that his professional activities on Canadian territory would have enabled him to collect information to identify and put himself in a position of intimidation against an individual targeted by the People’s Republic of China,” an RCMP spokesperson previously told The Epoch Times.

The former Mountie, charged with “preparatory acts for the benefit of a foreign entity” and “conspiracy,” was granted bail by a Quebec judge on July 25.

Mr. Majcher must surrender his passport, report to the RCMP every week, and make a $50,000 deposit with the court. Two sureties have also agreed to deposit an additional $200,000 as a guarantee.

The Bureau had caught wind of the probe into Mr. Majcher before the charges were laid and contacted him on the issue. He said he had “provided assistance to a number of governments and have made no secret whatsoever of my activities.”

“I 100 percent maintain that there has been nothing unlawful about any of my actions insofar as providing advice or assistance to China or any other Government for that matter,” Mr. Majcher said.

He added, if the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team “have evidence of me being involved in foreign interference in Canada or elsewhere, I would unequivocally refute that allegation.”

The arrest came at a time when the federal government is under pressure to hold a public inquiry into Beijing’s interference in Canada and show concrete action being taken to curb the threat. Despite investigating Chinese police stations in Canada, the RCMP have made no arrests, but  say its disruption activities have led to the stations ceasing their operations.

Andrew Chen and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.