Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Canada naval officer pleads guilty to spying - CBC

OTTAWA (Reuters) - A Canadian naval intelligence officer pleaded guilty on Wednesday to handing over secrets to an unidentified foreign country, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported.

Sub-Lieutenant Jeffrey Paul Delisle made the plea through his lawyer during a preliminary court appearance in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The judge has imposed a publication ban on much of the proceedings.

Delisle, 41, was charged with breach of trust and two counts of passing information to "a foreign entity". Canadian authorities will not comment on media reports the foreign country in question was Russia.

Delisle's sentencing hearing will be held on January 10 and 11 next year. He was arrested in January.

The CBC cited military officials as saying Delisle worked for a unit that tracked vessels entering and exiting Canadian waters. It said the unit had access to secret data from NATO countries.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay said this January that Canada still enjoyed the confidence of its allies despite the arrest. Canada has an intelligence-sharing arrangement with the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

Delisle is the first person charged under a new secrecy law enacted after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Peter Galloway)

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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Canada naval officer pleads guilty to spying - CBC