Paul William Hampel
Encyclopedia
Paul William Hampel is the fictitious name of a man accused by the Canadian government of being a Russia
n spy
masquerading as a Canadian citizen. He was arrested on November 14, 2006 at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport at about 6 p.m. just prior to boarding a plane departing Canada. When he was arrested, he had in his possession a fraudulent Ontario
birth certificate, $7,800 CDN in five currencies, a shortwave radio, index cards with detailed notes about Canadian history
, two digital cameras, three cell phones and five cell phone sim cards, some of them password-protected.
He was detained under a security certificate
, signed by Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day
and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg
. According to the National Post
, the certificate asserts that the individual "was a foreign national engaged in espionage, a member of an espionage organisation and 'a danger to the security of Canada.'" Specifically, he is suspected of being an elite agent in the SVR
, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. A Federal Court judge has found the certificate reasonable and ordered Hampel to be expelled from Canada. In order to speed up the deportation, Federal Court Justice Pierre Blais made a deal with the accused to seal the man's real name because of concerns for the safety of his family. In exchange, Hampel will not contest deportation to his homeland.
Hampel has admitted through his lawyer "that he is not Paul William Hampel, that he is a Russian citizen, born on October 21, 1961, and that he has no legal status in Canada." He does not admit to being a spy.
Hampel started an "emerging markets" consultancy in Dublin, Ireland, but the business was stagnant in recent years. In 1997, Hampel set up in Dublin a company called Emerging Markets Research and Consulting Limited, and put one million dollars of capital into the company; however, the company never filed any returns. The company formed part of a business empire that Hampel controlled, and which operated in Sark
, Belgrade
, Cyprus
and Canada
.
Paul William Hampel frequently traveled to Balkans and published a book of photographs "My Beautiful Balkans".
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
masquerading as a Canadian citizen. He was arrested on November 14, 2006 at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport at about 6 p.m. just prior to boarding a plane departing Canada. When he was arrested, he had in his possession a fraudulent Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
birth certificate, $7,800 CDN in five currencies, a shortwave radio, index cards with detailed notes about Canadian history
History of Canada
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Canada has been inhabited for millennia by distinctive groups of Aboriginal peoples, among whom evolved trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and social hierarchies...
, two digital cameras, three cell phones and five cell phone sim cards, some of them password-protected.
He was detained under a security certificate
Security certificate
In Canadian law, a security certificate is a mechanism by which the Government of Canada can detain and deport foreign nationals and all other non-citizens living in Canada...
, signed by Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day
Stockwell Day
Stockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg
Monte Solberg
Monte Kenton Solberg, PC is a former Canadian Member of Parliament, representing the riding of Medicine Hat in the Canadian House of Commons as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He was the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development...
. According to the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, the certificate asserts that the individual "was a foreign national engaged in espionage, a member of an espionage organisation and 'a danger to the security of Canada.'" Specifically, he is suspected of being an elite agent in the SVR
Foreign Intelligence Service (Russia)
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service is Russia's primary external intelligence agency. The SVR is the successor of the First Chief Directorate of the KGB since December 1991...
, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service. A Federal Court judge has found the certificate reasonable and ordered Hampel to be expelled from Canada. In order to speed up the deportation, Federal Court Justice Pierre Blais made a deal with the accused to seal the man's real name because of concerns for the safety of his family. In exchange, Hampel will not contest deportation to his homeland.
Hampel has admitted through his lawyer "that he is not Paul William Hampel, that he is a Russian citizen, born on October 21, 1961, and that he has no legal status in Canada." He does not admit to being a spy.
Hampel started an "emerging markets" consultancy in Dublin, Ireland, but the business was stagnant in recent years. In 1997, Hampel set up in Dublin a company called Emerging Markets Research and Consulting Limited, and put one million dollars of capital into the company; however, the company never filed any returns. The company formed part of a business empire that Hampel controlled, and which operated in Sark
Sark
Sark is a small island in the Channel Islands in southwestern English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. It is a royal fief, geographically located in the Channel Islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of laws based on Norman law and its own parliament. It has a population...
, Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Paul William Hampel frequently traveled to Balkans and published a book of photographs "My Beautiful Balkans".
External links
- http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-11-16T161940Z_01_N16276761_RTRIDST_0_CANADA-SECURITY-CANADA-SPY-COL.XML
- http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20773241-23109,00.html
- http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061116/montreal_arrest_061116/20061116?hub=CTVNewsAt11
- http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061121/russianspy_claims_061121/20061121?hub=TopStories
- http://cas-ncr-nter03.cas-satj.gc.ca/fct-cf/docs/Summary.pdf
- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061122.wspy22/BNStory/National/home
- http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061121/russianspy_claims_061122/20061122?hub=CTVNewsAt11
- http://serbianwatch.blogs.courrierinternational.com