OTTAWA — A former employee of an RCMP intelligence unit says members would never directly contact targets of a criminal investigation.

Dan Morris told the Ontario Superior Court trial of Cameron Jay Ortis, who also worked in the unit, that senior RCMP decision-makers would need to approve such an action.  

The Crown alleges Ortis anonymously sent secret information in 2015 to people who were of investigative interest to the RCMP.

Ortis, 51, has pleaded not guilty to violating the Security of Information Act by allegedly revealing secrets to three individuals and trying to do so in a fourth instance. 

Under questioning from the Crown, Morris said there are “very clear rules” on how undercover operations can be performed within the RCMP and who can do them.

Reporters and the general public were excluded from the courtroom for Morris’s appearance Monday and a transcript of his testimony was released today.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2023.

The Canadian Press