Cameron Ortis’s former boss says he was left shaking within the witness field after being proven emails and paperwork recovered from the high-ranking RCMP intelligence official’s pc.
“I am sick to my abdomen by what I see right here,” retired assistant commissioner Todd Shean informed Ontario Superior Courtroom in Ottawa Tuesday morning.
“I am shaking as a result of it is simply the irreparable hurt that I anticipate this has accomplished to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and our popularity amongst our companions goes to take. This has been a very long time within the making and I anticipate it may take many extra years earlier than we’ll be a trusted companion once more.”
Ortis, 51, is charged with a number of counts underneath the Safety of Data Act, the legislation meant to guard Canada’s secrets and techniques.
The previous civilian member is accused of sharing particular operational info “deliberately and with out authority” with Salim Henareh and Muhammad Ashraf. He additionally faces one depend of trying to share particular operational info with Farzam Mehdizadeh.
RCMP intelligence studies entered into proof through the jury trial present the RCMP was investigating these three males and their money-services companies for potential hyperlinks to Altaf Khanani, a convicted cash launderer.
Crown prosecutor Judy Kliewer confirmed Shean paperwork recovered from an encrypted USB discovered at Ortis’s residence. The paperwork are a part of the case’s agreed assertion of truth.
A number of the uncovered paperwork contained particulars of a 5 Eyes investigation into the Khanani community, together with intelligence that, in line with one RCMP report, “recognized plenty of Canadian topics that act as brokers of Khanani.”
Intelligence may have signed somebody’s ‘loss of life warrant’
“I’m searching for a method to securely talk with Altaf Khanani instantly,” mentioned one of many paperwork.
“Canadian authorities are presently targetting (sic) Mr. M. Ashraf, Mr. F. Mehdizadeh, and Mr. S Henareh. Please see connected for brief examples of what I’ve and to display my bonafides.”
Additional down it says: “Raza was arrested by HSI. Can he be trusted? No.”
Shean mentioned “HSI” possible means homeland safety.
“I do not know Mr. Raza, I do not know his involvement in that group, however it could possibly be signing any individual’s loss of life warrant,” he mentioned.
“You are indicating to the chief of that group that is working a multi-international money-laundering group, {that a} member of his group cannot be trusted, that he has a possible leak.”
A bundle of categorized materials was mailed to Henareh in 2015, the jury heard. The Crown alleges Ortis was the sender.
Ashraf informed investigators he solely grew to become conscious of emails from accounts the Crown has linked to Ortis following police inquiries in 2019. The jury has heard from an investigator who mentioned these electronic mail messages have been obtained via a manufacturing order.
Emails proven in court docket are ‘so Cam’
Ortis can also be accused of leaking particular operational info to Vincent Ramos, the top of an organization that was accused of promoting encrypted telephones to criminals, together with the Khanani community and drug cartels.
Emails recovered by police present somebody reached out to Ramos over electronic mail providing intelligence for $20,000.
The Crown alleges that Ortis even spelled out to Ramos the right way to use the data.
“For instance, the FINTRAC [Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada] intelligence would assist you and your people to elucidate transactions upfront. It can additionally assist you to keep away from making the identical errors,” reads one of many uncovered emails introduced in court docket.
“It is possible for you to to see which transactions have ‘blinked’ on their radars and, extra importantly, which haven’t.”
Shean mentioned the evaluation “is so Cam.”
“That is his character,” mentioned Shean, who would typically look within the course of Ortis whereas answering questions.
“Sadly, the expertise is the expertise that was getting used for a unique function.”
Shean says Ortis ‘one of many smartest individuals I ever met’
All through the trial, Ortis has been sitting behind his defence legal professionals at a desk, taking notes.
Ortis has pleaded not responsible to all the fees in opposition to him. His legal professionals say he had the “authority” to do all the things he did.
Ortis reported to Shean when he was answerable for the RCMP’s operations analysis department from January 2012 to March 2015. The intelligence unit had entry not simply to RCMP operations but in addition intelligence gathered by Canada’s spy businesses and by its 5 Eyes allies. Shean was additionally Ortis’s boss when he took over the RCMP’s Nationwide Intelligence Co-ordination Centre in 2016.
Shean mentioned he anticipated Ortis to climb the ranks on the RCMP, possibly even sooner or later serving as a deputy commissioner.
“Cam is likely one of the smartest individuals I’ve ever met,” he mentioned.
In line with the cost sheet, Ortis is accused of leaking between Feb. 1 and Could 31, 2015.
Shean mentioned Ortis by no means raised reaching out to targets or sharing operational info as a method to glean extra intelligence.
“I do not know why we might have that kind of dialog, as a result of if that was going to occur, then we’re crossing a Rubicon and we’re beginning to get into operational police work, which was not, that is not our bailiwick,” Shean informed the court docket.
“That is so felony and so reckless.”
