OTTAWA - A Canadian intern accused of spying at NATO’s strategic military headquarters in Belgium has been denied bail after a hearing behind closed doors.
The outcome was confirmed by the press office of the Belgian federal prosecutor.
“The pre-trial chamber has decided that the suspect will remain in pre-trial detention,” wrote Yasmina Vanoverschelde, the spokesperson for the Federaal Parket Office. Vanoverschelde said that the public prosecutor does not “disclose the identities of suspects in ongoing investigations.”
However, officials have said that the female suspect is a “Canadian national of Chinese origin.”
She’s accused of working on behalf of an unnamed third country and of being a member of a criminal organization.
In Belgium, suspects held in custody before a trial must appear in court once a month for the first three months. A review of the conditions takes place every two months.
The Canadian woman can appeal the decision before the Indictments Chamber.
The suspect who worked at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers of Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium, was arrested after her behaviour was flagged by NATO security services.
SHAPE spokesperson, Col. Martin O’Donnell says that there is “no indication that NATO or SHAPE operational readiness, command and control arrangements or ongoing tasks have been adversely affected. SHAPE continues to fulfill its responsibilities without interruption.”
“NATO remains fully committed to protecting Allied personnel, safeguarding classified information and maintaining the trust and security upon which the Alliance builds,” O’Donnell added in his statement.
Interns are usually vetted by individual member nations before they are hired at NATO. In Canada, the screening would be done by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the RCMP.
“I think it’s important to get to the bottom of what happened,” said Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree when asked about the case during a news conference in New Westminster, B.C. on Monday.
“As a country, we will continue to investigate the processes we have and the security screening.”
When asked by CTV News if the government is confident the alleged spy had not worked for another Canadian department before NATO, the minister said Canadian authorities “will monitor the impact of the work this individual has done and if they have done any work in Canada.”
In an email, Global Affairs said it’s aware of a Canadian citizen detained in Belgium. “GAC officials are prepared to provide consular services and are in contact with local authorities.”
