Noted & Quoted in: National Post, Sept 22, 2004

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Diplomat accused of selling entry to Canada

Noted & Quoted in: The National Post

The National Post

A high-ranking Canadian official resigned from his post at the Canadian embassy in Beijing amid reports he was being investigated for criminal activities, according to a B.C. newspaper. The Asian Pacific Post said the unidentified diplomat was involved in tracking down applicants who had already been refused entry into Canada and offering to rubber-stamp their files in exchange for between $10,000 and $20,000.

"He is thought to have made well over a million dollars before he bolted a few days before his posting expired," according to one source in the article. Andrew Hannon, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs, said the diplomat was with Canada's embassy in Beijing until 2003, when he resigned. Mr. Hannon would not identify the man or say whether there is an investigation into his activities. According to the newspaper, Canadian officials are concerned the situation may have allowed spies, gangsters or terrorists to enter Canada.