Cameron Jay Ortis, a former RCMP official accused of leaking secrets, is now awaiting a verdict from the jury. The jurors retired on Nov. 20 after being instructed by Justice Robert Maranger on how to proceed with their task. Mr. Ortis, 51, testified that he offered secret material to investigative targets in an attempt to get them to use an online encryption service, secretly set up by an allied intelligence agency to spy on adversaries. He has pleaded not guilty to violating the Security of Information Act by revealing secrets to three individuals in 2015 and trying to do so in a fourth instance, as well as breach of trust, and a computer-related offence.
The Crown’s argument is that Mr. Ortis lacked the authority to disclose classified material and that he was not doing so as part of an undercover operation. On the other hand, the defense contends that Mr. Ortis did not betray Canada but rather, was acting on a “clear and grave threat.” This is now in the hands of the jury to decide.