The lawyer for a man accused of trying to spy for China on Canadian shipbuilding plans says federal foot-dragging over secrecy is endangering his client’s right to timely justice.
In a letter filed with the Supreme Court of Canada, lawyer Frank Addario says Ottawa’s failure to resolve questions around disclosure of sensitive information is imperilling naval engineer Qing Quentin Huang’s charter guarantees.
Addario suggests the case could be dismissed because of the delays since the wrangling about documents is beyond the reach of the Ontario judge responsible for ensuring Huang has a trial within a reasonable time.
Huang worked for Lloyd’s Register, a subcontractor to Irving Shipbuilding Inc.
He was arrested five years ago in Burlington, Ont., following a brief RCMP-led investigation dubbed Project Seascape.
The concerns about his case come as relations between Canada and China are seriously tested by the arrest of a Chinese executive in Vancouver and China’s recent detention of two Canadians.
Read more: Canada’s ambassador meets with second detainee in China
Read more: ‘Naive approach’ to China at fault in Meng mess: Scheer
The Canadian Press
The lawyer for a man accused of trying to spy for China on Canadian shipbuilding plans says federal foot-dragging over secrecy is endangering his client’s right to timely justice.
