Former Canadian Space Agency engineer charged for allegedly acting on behalf of Chinese company: RCMP

A former employee of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has been charged with breach of trust for allegedly acting on behalf of a Chinese aerospace company while carrying out his duties.

RCMP said in a news release that Wanping Zheng, who is from Brossard, Que., used his status as an engineer with the CSA to negotiate agreements for satellite station facilities to be installed in Iceland.

“He allegedly acted on behalf of a Chinese aerospace company,” the RCMP said, noting that its Integrated National Security Enforcement team (INSET) started an investigation in October 2019 after receiving information from CSA security.

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In a statement Wednesday, the CSA said after concerns around Zheng's alleged activities outside his employment arose, it took measures that led to the engineer's employment ending in 2019.

"When concerns about this individual’s private activities outside of their employment arose, the CSA took actions, including an internal inquiry and restricting access to information," the statement from CSA spokesperson Andrea Matte said.

"The CSA brought forward its concerns to the RCMP and has actively collaborated with the investigation."

The CSA said it can't comment further since the case is now in court.

Zheng, 61, has a scheduled court appearance in Longueuil, Que., on Dec. 15. The allegations against him have not been tested in court.

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