Former public servant accused in foreign interference case involving China
A former Natural Resources Canada employee, Dennis Lu, is facing trial for unauthorized computer use and breach of trust. Prosecutors allege he intended to share sensitive documents with Chinese entities, though no evidence of actual data transfer has been found.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding foreign interference and the protection of sensitive federal research in Canada.
Dennis Lu faces trial in Ottawa next year. He researched clean energy with Natural Resource Canada’s Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology for decades, specializing in carbon capture and decarbonization. He was fired during the week of his scheduled retirement in August 2023.
The 65-year-old is charged under the Criminal Code with two counts of unauthorized use of a computer and one count of breach of trust relating to his federal duties.
The alleged breach dates from the day Lu began a leave of absence to travel to Taiwan and China in 2023 to the date of his arrest in 2024. He had recently returned to Canada after living in China for about a year following his departure from Natural Resources Canada.
Courthouse records prepared by the Crown and defence, obtained by CBC News, show there is no evidence of Lu actually sharing the documents he downloaded.
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