B.C. resident denied bail in U.S. hacking case
VANCOUVER — A Chinese citizen accused by U.S. authorities in a sophisticated hacking scheme to steal military secrets will remain jailed in Canada after a British Columbia judge declared the man posed a significant flight risk.
Calling the allegations “disturbing,” B.C. Supreme Court Justice Austin Cullen refused bail for Su Bin, a businessman appealing the revocation of his permanent residency in Canada as he faces extradition to the United States.
“It appears that his connection to Canada is mainly that it is a base for his wife and children,” Cullen said Wednesday when delivering his decision from the bench. “His own presence in Canada is more illusory than real.”
Cullen listed reasons for denying the man’s release, including the vast amount of time Su spends in China, the fact his business is based there and that he appears to have undisclosed assets outside of Canada. The judge also cited the serious allegations in the U.S. and the man’s international connections.
“In my view, those factors taken in combination raise a significant risk that Mr. Su, if released, will abscond rather than face the prospect of extradition to the United States based on these charges.”
The FBI alleges Su, who was arrested on June 28, as the mastermind of a plot to electronically steal information from U.S. military contractor Boeing, as well as other defence contractors, and sell it to companies in China. The bureau alleges Su directed hackers to illegally access Boeing’s computers in California to obtain information about the aircraft company’s military projects.