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Former RCMP officer William Majcher, accused of a security offence in relation to his alleged work for the Chinese government, leaves B.C. Supreme Court after his trial was abruptly adjourned when prosecutors closed their case, in Vancouver, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Actions of ex-Mountie charged under security law affront Canadian sovereignty: Crown

Apr 24, 2026 | 12:27 PM

VANCOUVER — The actions of a former RCMP officer accused of violating a security law for the benefit of the Chinese government were an affront to Canadian sovereignty, a Crown prosecutor told British Columbia Supreme Court on Friday.

William Majcher pleaded not guilty to one charge under Canada’s Security of Information Act as his trial got underway in Vancouver this week.

The Crown alleged he planned to use the threat of arrest to coerce a Vancouver-area resident and real estate mogul to comply with Chinese government demands.

Prosecutor Ryan Carrier told Justice Martha Devlin in his closing statement on Friday that evidence shows the target was Hongwei Sun, also known as Kevin Sun, who was wanted by the Chinese government for financial crimes.

He said Sun was accused of defrauding the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and absconding to Canada with about $120 million in the early 2000s.

Carrier said Majcher knew that his alleged actions were benefiting Chinese police, who were able to “project” their power beyond China’s borders into Canada in pursuit of Sun.

“Mr. Majcher took steps to use the spectre of (Chinese) criminal pursuit and criminal proceedings as the means to induce the permanent resident of Canada, living in Canada at the time, to acquiesce to the demands of a foreign government.”

Carrier said Majcher’s alleged actions constituted an “affront” to Canadian sovereignty and posed a serious threat to Sun.

He said China’s interest in investigating Sun does not “trump Canada’s interest” in ensuring its own sovereignty is respected and maintained, and that the rights of a permanent resident accused of a crime abroad are respected on Canadian soil.

Carrier said Majcher is charged under the section of Canada’s security legislation that deals with preparing to commit an offence under the same law, including actions for the benefit of or in association with a foreign entity or terrorist group.

The Crown is not required to prove the foreign entity directed the actions of the accused, or that the offence was committed primarily for its benefit, Carrier said.

The trial has heard Majcher sent an email to a colleague in 2017 related to an effort to recover proceeds from a fraud matching the details of Sun’s alleged crime.

Carrier quoted Majcher as writing in the email that he hoped to “impress upon the crook that we hold the keys to his future.”

An earlier court ruling includes a further email in which Majcher apparently wrote that if the “target” co-operated, he hoped to settle the matter within a few weeks.

“If he fights then (there) will be extradition request and lengthier process but we feel he is motivated to co-operate as we can guarantee him his passport and no jail time.”

Carrier told Devlin Friday that a “veiled reference” may constitute an extortion threat.

The trial previously heard Chinese police sought the RCMP’s help to arrest Sun, but Supt. Peter Tsui, a former liaison officer in Beijing, testified Monday that the Mounties didn’t receive enough information to make a determination.

Tsui said Chinese authorities then “changed their tactic” and asked if they could speak to Sun, prompting a request to federal Mounties in Vancouver to find him.

Sun refused to attend a meeting, asserting Chinese authorities “couldn’t touch him” in Canada, and the Mounties concluded their assistance in the case, Tsui said.

Carrier said Friday that states seeking help with criminal investigations related to subjects in other countries must approach such requests with respect for sovereignty.

The Crown abruptly had closed its case Wednesday, moments before prosecutors were expected to call a witness in relation to Majcher’s 2017 email.

The move prompted defence lawyer Ian Donaldson to tell the judge that he would not be calling any evidence.

Before the trial, the judge found Majcher’s arrest at Vancouver’s airport in 2023 occurred without reasonable or probable grounds, breaching his Charter rights.

The court had also ruled that a warrant authorizing a search of another former Mountie’s home as part of the investigation into Majcher was invalid.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2026.

Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press