In a historic verdict, a jury has found Cameron Ortis, the former head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) intelligence unit, guilty of leaking state secrets. This marks the first conviction under Canada’s Security of Information Act. The jury, on Wednesday afternoon, declared Ortis guilty on three counts of violating the act and one count of attempting to do so. Additionally, he was found guilty of breach of trust and fraudulent use of a computer.
The charges stem from one of the largest security breaches in Canada, causing concern among Five Eyes allies. Ortis, 51, had pleaded not guilty to all charges, including accusations of violating the secrets law by disclosing classified information to three individuals in 2015 and attempting to do so in a fourth instance.
Following a comprehensive investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Cameron Ortis was arrested in 2019, a development that had a significant impact on the intelligence community.
In his defense during the trial, Ortis explained that he provided secret material to targets with the intention of encouraging them to use an online encryption service. This service was designed to transmit information to allied spy agencies. Ortis argued that he was working to safeguard the country from an undisclosed “grave threat” and asserted that his life had been “destroyed” since his arrest.
Ortis informed the jury that in September 2014, a foreign counterpart disclosed to him a particularly serious threat and shared confidential information about an online encryption service named Tutanota. According to Ortis, this service was established covertly to monitor communications of interest. He claimed to have devised a plan, codenamed Nudge, to persuade investigative targets to join the encryption service by offering promises of secret material as an incentive. a jury has found
It’s worth noting that the company, now known as Tuta, has denied any connections to intelligence agencies.