Former B.C. RCMP officer accused of helping Beijing

A retired B.C. RCMP officer has been charged with foreign interference and conspiracy after being accused of helping the Chinese government “identify and intimidate” an individual.

William Majcher, 60, was arrested in Vancouver on Tuesday but released over a lack of evidence, according to RCMP. He was arrested again on Thursday and remains in custody in Vancouver.

He was charged Friday with “preparatory acts” for the benefit of a foreign entity and conspiracy.

Majcher used his knowledge and his extensive network of contacts in Canada to obtain intelligence or services to benefit the People’s Republic of China, the RCMP alleged in a news release.

Majcher has been living in Hong Kong but served in various roles, including specializing in drug and financial crimes, as an RCMP officer in B.C. between 1985 and 2007, when he retired from the force. Majcher was the lead RCMP investigator in the case of B.C. lawyer Martin Chambers, who was sentenced to 15 years in jail in the United States for money laundering in 2003.