A vast amount of classified information allegedly leaked to Russia by a Canadian naval intelligence officer has seriously compromised the spy agencies of major English-speaking countries, Western media reported on Wednesday.
Sub-Lieutenant Jeffrey Paul Delisle was arrested in Canada’s Nova Scotia province in January and was charged under Canada's Security of Information Act with giving classified information to a “foreign entity” for the past five years. The foreign entity in question is believed to be Russia, although Moscow has denied the allegations.
“Much of the information allegedly sold to the Russians was more highly classified than the WikiLeaks disclosures attributed to private Manning, and included signals intelligence collected by the ''Five Eyes'' intelligence community of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand,” Australian newspaper The Age said.
The Five Eyes alliance of five English-speaking countries was established under a multilateral agreement almost five decades ago for the purpose of sharing intelligence, which is why Delisle’s leaks also involved classified materials from Australia, the UK, the U.S. and New Zealand.
A secret international conference was held in New Zealand earlier this year to discuss the potential repercussions of the alleged spy case.
At the time of his arrest, Delisle, 40, worked at the Royal Canadian Navy's Trinity intelligence and communications center at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and previously worked at defense intelligence headquarters in Ottawa.
Delisle is expected to appear before the Nova Scotia Supreme Court for a preliminary hearing in October.
He could face a life imprisonment if convicted.
Asian Defence News
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