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Former RCMP intelligence director Cameron Ortis requested a subordinate to compile a top-secret report on prison organizations’ use of encrypted telephones a yr earlier than prosecutors say he leaked delicate info to a Canadian accused of promoting such units, the jury in his trial heard earlier this week.
Gregory O’Hayon labored below Ortis in a unit inside the RCMP known as operation analysis (OR), which was meant to transient senior management on rising threats primarily based on intelligence gathered by Canada and its allies.
Ortis now faces six prices, together with 4 counts of violating the Safety of Info Act, the legislation meant to forestall leaks of high-value, delicate info.
The defence staff has mentioned Ortis, who has pleaded not responsible to all the costs in opposition to him, has a “compelling story” to inform and that he had the “authority” to do every thing he did.
Ortis, who’s completely sure to secrecy, is accused of sharing particular operational info “deliberately and with out authority” with Vincent Ramos, the top of an organization that was offering encrypted telephones to criminals, together with a drug cartel and a money-laundering syndicate accused of financing terrorists. In line with the cost sheet, he is accused of leaking between Feb. 1 and Might 31, 2015.
In line with proof already introduced to court docket, the RCMP was gathering details about Ramos’s firm, Phantom Safe, as a part of an operation dubbed Venture Saturation. The FBI arrested Ramos within the U.S. in 2018, triggering the RCMP’s investigation of Ortis.
In line with a redacted transcript of O’Hayon’s testimony, he instructed the jury he was requested to “synthesize the intelligence” on Phantom Safe.
“And who requested you to do this?” requested Crown prosecutor John MacFarlane.
“The director on the time, Mr. Ortis,” mentioned O’Hayon. “As a result of on the time, in each the counterterrorism sphere and in organized crime, there was overriding concern concerning the rising use of encrypted communications by the organizations and the people that we had an curiosity in.”
Testimony held in-camera
O’Hayon is the second witness to testify in-camera through the trial. A redacted transcript of what the Crown witness instructed the closed courtroom Wednesday was launched to the media Friday.
A consortium of media organizations that features CBC Information fought the transfer to maintain some witnesses’ testimony confidential, however misplaced. Different particulars of the secrecy measure are coated by a publication ban.
O’Hayon mentioned he compiled this report utilizing info gathered from Canada’s intelligence companions saved on Canada’s Prime Secret Community (CTSN), a pc community utilized by the federal authorities to share categorised info.
“And did you report again to Mr. Ortis?” requested MacFarlane.
“I did,” mentioned O’Hayon.
A replica of the report has been entered into proof as a part of the agreed assertion of info, though it’s largely redacted.
“I had collected reporting over a two-year span,” O’Hayon instructed the jury. “I used to be solely requested to take a look at what safety intelligence was reporting on this.”
O’Hayon mentioned he was recruited to work in operations analysis by Ortis when the unit was simply getting off the bottom.
He mentioned the staff had loads of freedom to work on tasks however not “carte blanche.”
The veteran civilian member mentioned the OR didn’t participate in undercover police operations.
“As a result of we have been an intelligence and analytical and intelligence unit, and that is not our job,” he mentioned.
Civilians have been allowed to coach on covert cyber operations: witness
For the second time, the Crown requested considered one of their witnesses about Ortis’s operating habits.
“I bear in mind seeing him operating and being amazed on the pace,” mentioned O’Hayon.
A transcript of the cross-examination has not but been made accessible.
On Friday, the jury started to listen to from retired superintendent Kevin Lamontagne, who grew to become the “officer in cost” of the RCMP’s nationwide undercover program in early 2015.
He walked the court docket via a few of the RCMP’s insurance policies and coaching for undercover brokers.
“With undercover operations specifically, we do see a must have a inflexible governance mannequin,” he mentioned.
“By the very nature of the kind of operations we conduct, the place we depend on deception and guile to gather proof and data from targets of prison investigations, we all know there’s going to be a sure degree of scrutiny that is utilized by our communities, internally by the RCMP, and by the courts.”
Lamontagne mentioned that whereas civilian staff wouldn’t be despatched undercover to fulfill and work together with targets, the RCMP did change its insurance policies over time to permit them to coach on covert cyber operations.
Civilian staff would must be granted peace officer standing earlier than participating in an energetic undercover operation, he added.
Lamontagne will resume his testimony Monday
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