Sean Kilpatrick
A former engineer with the Canadian Space Agency has been cleared of a breach of trust charge related to his involvement with a Chinese aerospace company while employed by the federal agency.
Wanping Zheng, aged 63 and residing in the Montreal suburb of Brossard, Quebec, expressed relief following the ruling by Quebec court Judge Marc-Antoine Carette in Longueuil, Quebec, located south of Montreal.
Zheng had been accused of leveraging his position to act on behalf of the Chinese aerospace company, Spacety. Carette delivered his verdict in court, acknowledging Zheng's errors in judgment but ultimately stating that the Crown failed to prove criminal wrongdoing.
Although Carette recognized that Zheng's actions warranted disciplinary measures, he concluded that there were reasonable doubts as to whether his behavior constituted criminal negligence or a significant deviation from expected standards for someone in his position.
The prosecution alleged that Zheng acted as an intermediary for the Chinese firm by reaching out to two Canadian space companies for potential business collaborations. These purported infractions occurred between July 2018 and May 2019.
One such interaction involved contacting Ewan Reid, CEO of Mission Control Space Services, regarding the establishment of a satellite ground station in Iceland on behalf of Spacety. However, Reid discerned that Zheng's intentions were more focused on his connections to Iceland rather than genuine business opportunities for Reid's company.
Zheng also approached Kepler Communications, a Canadian satellite firm, regarding a potential partnership with Spacety for the development and launch of 50 satellites.
Importantly, Zheng failed to disclose these actions to the Canadian Space Agency, where he had been employed for 25 years. It was revealed during the trial that the agency required Zheng to report all his contacts and interactions.
Moreover, agency officials had previously cautioned Zheng about the concept of conflicts of interest, underscoring the need for him to exercise caution in his dealings.
In response to an internal investigation initiated by the Canadian Space Agency in December 2018, Zheng took a leave of absence. He ultimately resigned from his position in September 2019. Shortly thereafter, the agency alerted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), leading to charges being laid against him in 2021.
Although Zheng did not testify during the trial, an interview he gave to police officers following his arrest in 2021 was included as evidence. In the interview, Zheng defended his actions, stating that he only intended to assist the Canadian companies by facilitating connections with the Chinese firm. However, he acknowledged that he may have overstepped boundaries.
The court heard that Zheng did not receive any compensation from Spacety for his actions, nor did he disclose any confidential information from the Canadian Space Agency to the Chinese firm.
One month after leaving his position at the Canadian Space Agency, Zheng secured employment with Spacety to establish operations in Luxembourg.
Following the ruling, Zheng's defense lawyer, Andrew Barbacki, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, asserting that Zheng had not engaged in criminal behavior, as affirmed by the judge. Prosecutor Marc Cigana indicated that his office would review the ruling before deciding on a potential appeal, emphasizing their commitment to upholding legal standards.
