Ex-Mountie Intelligence Official Sentenced for Breaking Secrets Law in Canada
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Cameron Jay Ortis, an Ex-Mountie intelligence official of 51, was offered 14 years impressment on last Wednesday for breaching the country’s secrets law.
Ontario Superior Court Justice, Robert Maranger convicted Ortis on three counts- violating the Security of Information Act, breaching of trust and fraudulent use of a computer. The credited time spent will include seven years, another seven years and 155 days for the three counts.
His job role in leading the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Operations Research group helped him gather enough classified information and data on cybercriminals, terror cells, and transnational criminal networks.
Last November a jury found him guilty of those three counts. Then Ortis appealed to the Ontario Superior Court, demanding that he was not guilty to all charges- even the charge of violating the country’s secrets law. He refused to accept the charge of disclosing classified information to three individuals in 2015. The trial argued that Ortis had no authority to disclose classified materials as he had no permission to do the same. Therefore, the undercover operation was illegal.
Although no tangible evidence was found behind the motive, Maranger told the court that the motive behind the crime was probably a financial incentive. Nobody found to pay Ortis for the same. Therefore, the question comes- Why did he do that? It remains a mystery..
At a hearing in January, public prosecutor Judy Kliewer convicted Ortis and commented that a range of 22 to 25 years imprisonment would be appropriate for his guilt. However, Jon Doody, defence lawyer refuted it and said a little over seven years of impressment would be right for his client, Ortis.
At the prosecution, Ortis demanded that he did not betray the RCMP as he sent secret information to an associated intelligence agency that used the information for online encryption service to spy on enemies. At the prosecution, Ortis demanded that he did not betray the RCMP as he sent secret information to an associated intelligence agency that used the information for online encryption service to spy on enemies.
