RCMP suspected person leaking secrets had high-level computer access, Ortis investigation search warrants show | CBC News
RCMP suspected person leaking secrets had high-level computer access, Ortis investigation search warrants show
RCMP spent months trying to figure out who might be offering to leak secret case information
Scott Anderson, Andrew Culbert · CBC News · Posted: Jun 29, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 9 hours ago
Cameron Ortis, who was director general of the RCMP's National Intelligence Co-ordination Centre for more than three years, is accused on charges of violating the Security of Information Act and breach of trust for allegedly disclosing secrets to an unknown recipient. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
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The RCMP suspected someone senior in its ranks was offering to spill secrets, but still didn't know the identity of the alleged leaker for several months after they first learned highly confidential information about investigations had been compromised.
The revelation is contained in court documents unsealed late last week at the request of The Fifth Estate.
The documents suggest investigators ultimately focused on a small group who had access to sensitive information stored on an RCMP server "controlled by the RCMP National Intelligence Co-ordination Centre," and "access to its files is limited to select authorized employees of the RCMP."
The RCMP has said little to date about the investigation code-named Project Ace that ultimately led to the arrest of their top intelligence analyst Cameron Ortis.
Affidavits and supporting materials for two search warrants — which include numerous redactions and pages of sensitive information subject to a publication ban until Ortis's trial has concluded — reveal a tangled investigation involving the FBI and a Canadian businessman now serving time in U.S. federal prison.
Ortis is in custody in Ottawa and awaiting trial after being arrested on Sept. 12, 2019.
WATCH | Who is Cameron Ortis:
Who is Cameron Ortis?7 months ago
3:01
Cameron Ortis, a senior Canadian intelligence official, has been accused of violating the country’s secrecy laws and plotting to leak sensitive information. Here’s how his expertise in cybersecurity and the dark web gave him access to intelligence from Canada and its global allies. 3:01
He faces eight counts of violating the Security of Information Act and two criminal counts. The Crown alleges that he violated the Security of Information Act by leaking operational information and intending to leak even more critical investigative details.
As director general of the RCMP's National Intelligence Co-ordination Centre (NICC) for more than three years, Ortis was one of the highest-ranking civilian members in Canada's federal police force, with access to sensitive national and multinational investigations.
RCMP spent months trying to figure out who might be offering to leak secret case information
Scott Anderson, Andrew Culbert · CBC News · Posted: Jun 29, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: 9 hours ago
Cameron Ortis, who was director general of the RCMP's National Intelligence Co-ordination Centre for more than three years, is accused on charges of violating the Security of Information Act and breach of trust for allegedly disclosing secrets to an unknown recipient. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
156
comments
The RCMP suspected someone senior in its ranks was offering to spill secrets, but still didn't know the identity of the alleged leaker for several months after they first learned highly confidential information about investigations had been compromised.
The revelation is contained in court documents unsealed late last week at the request of The Fifth Estate.
The documents suggest investigators ultimately focused on a small group who had access to sensitive information stored on an RCMP server "controlled by the RCMP National Intelligence Co-ordination Centre," and "access to its files is limited to select authorized employees of the RCMP."
The RCMP has said little to date about the investigation code-named Project Ace that ultimately led to the arrest of their top intelligence analyst Cameron Ortis.
Affidavits and supporting materials for two search warrants — which include numerous redactions and pages of sensitive information subject to a publication ban until Ortis's trial has concluded — reveal a tangled investigation involving the FBI and a Canadian businessman now serving time in U.S. federal prison.
Ortis is in custody in Ottawa and awaiting trial after being arrested on Sept. 12, 2019.
WATCH | Who is Cameron Ortis:
Who is Cameron Ortis?7 months ago
3:01
Cameron Ortis, a senior Canadian intelligence official, has been accused of violating the country’s secrecy laws and plotting to leak sensitive information. Here’s how his expertise in cybersecurity and the dark web gave him access to intelligence from Canada and its global allies. 3:01
He faces eight counts of violating the Security of Information Act and two criminal counts. The Crown alleges that he violated the Security of Information Act by leaking operational information and intending to leak even more critical investigative details.
As director general of the RCMP's National Intelligence Co-ordination Centre (NICC) for more than three years, Ortis was one of the highest-ranking civilian members in Canada's federal police force, with access to sensitive national and multinational investigations.
