Poilievre says Carney must explain 'failed' screening that led to NATO spy case
Belgian authorities say the suspect worked at NATO’s SHAPE headquarters and face scrutiny over security screening after a 2023 fraud finding in Canada.
- On July 25, an investigating judge in Belgium ordered the arrest of a Canadian national working at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, charging her with espionage and participation in a criminal organization.
- Media reports identified the intern as Biwei Zhang, also known as Claire Zhang, who previously held internships at the European Space Agency and World Trade Organization. Court records show she committed fraud during a 2023 appointment process for the Canada Border Services Agency.
- Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree called the accusations "quite serious" and said officials would investigate whether the suspect worked for Canadian agencies. "Ultimately, we need to get to the bottom of this, and we need to ensure that these types of incidents do not occur in the future," he said.
- Defence Minister David McGuinty said the government is "seized with the need to improve overall the approach to security clearances" for contractors working on defence contracts. The Canadian Space Agency pledged to "continue to collaborate" with international partners to protect investigative integrity.
- The suspect remains in pretrial detention while appealing the ruling as Belgian prosecutors continue their investigation. Officials have not disclosed which country she allegedly spied for, and NATO has declined to comment on its specific security procedures.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Poilievre Says Government Has ‘A Lot of Explaining’ to Do for NATO Intern Arrested on Espionage Charges
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is questioning how a Canadian woman recently arrested in Belgium on espionage charges was vetted by the Canadian government, saying Prime Minister Mark Carney has “a lot of explaining to do.” Poilievre made the remarks at a political rally in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, questioning Canada’s security clearance process as well as why the alleged security threat was raised by foreign authorities. “I t…
A Belgian judge placed a Canadian national in pre-trial detention for espionage and participation in a criminal organization.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre said on Thursday that Prime Minister Mark Carney "had a lot of explanation to provide" about how the government had failed to verify the background of a Canadian intern at NATO headquarters in Belgium, who was recently arrested for spying.
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Poilievre says Carney must explain ‘failed’ screening that led to NATO spy case
OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday that Prime Minister Mark Carney "has a lot of explaining to do" about how the government "failed" to screen a Canadian intern at NATO's Belgium headquarters who was arrested recently on espion...
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