Former federal scientist charged in Ottawa foreign interference case

A former Natural Resources Canada scientist is facing criminal charges in Ottawa after authorities alleged he copied thousands of departmental documents and intended to share them with China. The accused, Dennis Lu, has been charged with breach of trust and two counts of unauthorized use of a computer. Court records reviewed by CBC News say the alleged conduct took place in 2023, around the time Lu was preparing to retire after decades of work on clean energy research, including carbon capture and decarbonization. Officials allege he transferred documents from a shared server and sent work emails to a personal account while he was abroad, though the records say there is no evidence the files were actually shared. The case also includes claims that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warned Lu’s employer about him multiple times over the years. Natural Resources Canada began an internal review and later informed the RCMP, which led to Lu’s arrest in 2024 after he had returned to Ottawa from spending time in China. Lu has not been convicted, and the allegations remain unproven. His jury trial is scheduled for January in Ottawa Superior Court.