Retired RCMP officer charged with foreign interference, allegedly worked as 'third-party' for Chinese police
The RCMP claim William Majcher, 60, 'allegedly used his knowledge and his extensive network of contacts in Canada to obtain intelligence or services to benefit the People's Republic of China.'
The RCMP have charged a retired Mountie with foreign interference, according to a spokesperson for the federal policing agency.
A news release claimed William Majcher, 60, "allegedly used his knowledge and his extensive network of contacts in Canada to obtain intelligence or services to benefit the People's Republic of China."
The RCMP alleges that Majcher "contributed to the Chinese government's efforts to identify and intimidate an individual outside the scope of Canadian law."
An RCMP spokesperson told the CBC the accused worked for a Hong Kong-based firm that collected information on a Canadian targeted by Beijing.
Cpl. Tasha Adams confirmed the charges do not stem from concerns regarding the 2019 or 2021 federal elections or politics, adding that she is unaware of the targeted person's nationality.
Majcher virtually appeared in a Longueuil, Québec court on Friday to face allegations of preparatory acts for the benefit of a foreign entity and conspiracy. Both alleged offences fall under the Security of Information Act.
The RCMP launched an investigation into Majcher's "suspicious activities" in the fall of 2021, headed by their Integrated National Security Team (INSET).
INSETs are multi-agency teams scattered across the country — sometimes made up of RCMP officers, provincial and municipal police service members and federal agency representatives — investigating cases concerning national security, extremism and terrorism.
According to Majcher's LinkedIn page, he worked on several money laundering investigations as a covert operator when in service for the RCMP.
In 2006, he moved to Hong Kong and worked as a risk assessment adviser in the investment banking sector. According to his Hong Kong-based website Speakers Connect profile, Majcher founded a corporate risk firm called EMIDR in 2016.
The company's website lists state-sponsored espionage, intelligence gathering and money laundering as areas of expertise, specializing in asset recovery.
In 2019, ABC reported that the former RCMP officer worked on Project Dragon, a Chinese operation tasked with recovering money allegedly siphoned out of the country illegally.
Majcher called himself a "hired gun" for governments and corporations to "get back what is rightfully theirs." Specifically for Project Dragon, he worked for a third-party "entity" associated with Chinese police "in some form or another."
Don't Get Censored
Big Tech is censoring us. Sign up so we can always stay in touch.