Newspaper story ‘tipped off Russians to spy’

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 9

Newspaper story ‘tipped off Russians to spy’

NZPA Toronto Stories published by the Toronto “Sun” newspaper on Soviet attemi s to recruit Canadians as spies tipped off the Russians to the identity of at least one Canadian double agent, an intelligence officer has told a Toronto court. The testimony by Mr Michael Spooner, chief superintendent of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s security service, came during a court hearing into charges the “Sun,” its editor, and its publisher violated the Official Secrets Act. The charges against the; “Sun,” its editor, Peter Worthington, and its publisher, J. Douglas Creighton, are thei first brought under the act i against a newspaper or a <

journalist. The two men face up to 14 years in prison if convicted.

Mr Spooner, the Government’s first witness, told the pn vincial court that parts of a secret R.C.M.P. document outlined in Worthington’s March 7 column tipped the Russians that counterintelligence officers had detected their attempts to recruit Canadians. Elaborating on one such case, Mr Spooner said that an unidentified Canadian armed forces non-commis-sioned officer stationed in Moscow was recruited by the K.G.B. secret service with promises of money. In the six months the man worked for the K.G.B. in Moscow, he planted electronic listening devices in the Canadian Embassy, supplied

the Russians with embassy floor plans, and identified Canadian intelligance officers, Mr Spooner said.

The serviceman was later posted to Peking, where he performed similar tasks for the K.G.8., including spying on diplomats from other Western nations and even Russian nationals in China, he said.

He eventually came to the attention of the R.C.M.P., Mr Spooner said, and the R.C.M.P. then made him a counter-spy, using him to gain information about his contacts with the K.G.B.

Mr Spooner said the Worthington column, which contained a one paragraph outline of the case, let the Russians know that he had been uncovered.