Canada policeman charged with accessing data to aid foreign power
OTTAWA (Reuters) - A member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been arrested and charged with accessing police records to assist an unnamed foreign actor, the force said on Tuesday.
News of the arrest broke less than a week after a former top Canadian police intelligence official was sentenced to 14 years in jail for leaking secret information.
The RCMP said Constable Eli Ndatuje had accessed non-top-secret police records in the western province of Alberta but gave no details. He was arrested on Saturday and faces three charges, including breach of trust, and is next due to appear in court on March 11.
"The RCMP is committed to combating foreign actor interference at all levels. ... This is a good example of the efforts being made," the force said in a statement.
An independent commission is probing alleged foreign interference in Canadian affairs by China, Russia and others.
(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Mark Porter)
