A former Mountie in British Columbia was acquitted of foreign interference by a B.C. Supreme Court judge on Wednesday. The judge, Martha Devlin, ruled that the Crown did not provide sufficient evidence to support the claim that William Majcher had targeted an alleged fraudster at the request of the Chinese government.
Majcher, who had pleaded not guilty to engaging in preparatory acts to commit an offense under Canada’s Security of Information Act, expressed relief outside the court following the verdict. He thanked Devlin and stated his anticipation of reuniting with his children in Hong Kong, where he had relocated after retiring from the RCMP.
Devlin’s decision was based on her evaluation of a primarily circumstantial case, centered around an email fragment sent by Majcher in April 2017. The email mentioned a “fraudster” who prosecutors asserted was Hongwei (Kevin) Sun, a wealthy real estate investor wanted for financial crimes in China.
While the Crown argued that Majcher’s actions were intended to coerce Sun into compliance with Chinese authorities, Devlin found that there was insufficient proof of specific intent to violate Canadian laws. She concluded that the prosecution had not convincingly demonstrated that Majcher was preparing to commit an offense.
Majcher’s lawyer emphasized the detrimental impact of the prosecution on Majcher and his associates, highlighting the disruption caused by the RCMP’s investigation. The defense argued that the emails in question did not indicate criminal intent and were related to pursuing a fraudulent individual for financial recovery purposes.
Following the verdict, Majcher’s passport was returned to him, and he expressed his intention to promptly return to Hong Kong. Discussions about potential civil lawsuits for malicious prosecution against the Crown were deferred, with the focus on Majcher’s immediate plans to reunite with his family in Hong Kong.