The case of a former RCMP officer charged with allegedly working with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to harm Canadian interests is a matter of national security, a B.C. judge heard Sept. 13.
William Robert Majcher is charged with retaining or gaining access to information and preparation for the commission of an offence. The charges are laid under the federal Security of Information Act.
He was released on bail Aug. 13.
Defence lawyer Ian Donaldson told Judge Donna Senniw Aug. 23 that the timeline on the case began ticking when the case was originally started in Quebec.
However, the case has been moved to Vancouver with the charges having been sworn here in a new court information.
And, as Majcher is living out of the country, Donaldson appeared for him before Judge Jacqueline McQueen Friday.
A Prosecution Service of Canada 2023 report said the case of R. v. William Robert Majcher is about a former RCMP inspector alleged to have been obtaining, with the help of others, information for the purpose of helping China to damage Canadian interests.
Court charge documents sworn Aug. 12 allege Majcher, between January 2014 and January 2019, worked with Kenneth Ingram Marsh and others in Vancouver and Hong Kong, and the PRC obtained, retained or gained access to information for the PRC.
One count covers that activity alleged for Majcher alone while a second involves conspiring with Marsh and others.
Disclosure of information by Crown to the defence was once again the issue in the Sept. 13 appearance.
Donaldson had told Senniw and McQueen he received Crown disclosure in the case. But, he said, in addition to the computer drive being inaccessible, it came with conditions that are problematic.
He said those conditions made it impossible for him to review the information with his client, something he called “fundamental” to being able to defend those charges at trial.
Donaldson had the drive with him and said he was willing to hand it over to Crown for the access problem to be fixed. Federal Crown lawyer Harpreet Parmar was there to take the drive with her colleague Ryan Carrier, who told the court they wanted to have the drive back to Donaldson by Sept. 16 at the latest.
“This is a national security issue,” Carrier said. “The Crown is ready to set a trial date.”
The veteran Vancouver lawyer said he has been involved with the case for some time but is not privy to much of the information the Quebec lawyers have reviewed.
Majcher’s background
The former Richmond school trustee was arrested in Vancouver in July 2023. RCMP in Quebec issued a statement at the time.
“The Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) launched an investigation in fall 2021 regarding William Majcher's suspicious activities,” the statement said. “It is alleged that he contributed to the Chinese government's efforts to identify and intimidate an individual outside the scope of Canadian law.”
A Quebec judge granted Majcher bail with an order for a $50,000 cash deposit with the court. Two people have also agreed to provide sureties with a deposit of an additional $200,000 as a guarantee that Majcher would respect release conditions. He was ordered to surrender his passport and report to RCMP every week.
He must also not apply for new travel documents and reside at an Ontario address.
That bail came to an end on Aug. 12 when Majcher was taken into custody, sources told Glacier Media.
Donaldson and federal Crown prosecutor Jonathan Langlois-Sadubin presented a bail conditions proposal to Judge Eugene Jamieson. The judge imposed the same conditions.
As an RCMP member, Majcher was involved in some high-profile cases.
