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A soldier who ran a white nationalist group has been charged with espionage and is the first person to face an accusation of threatening New Zealand’s security by giving information to another country or foreign organization.
The Defense Force said Wednesday that the soldier, who has name suppression, would face court martial on 17 counts, including multiple counts of espionage, attempted espionage, access to a computer system for dishonest purposes and possession of an objectionable publication. .
Much of the details of the allegations remain unknown, including what information the soldier obtained and with which country or foreign organization he shared the information.
A close friend of the soldier’s family said they were dismayed by the charges. The soldier, who was 27 when he was arrested at the Linton military camp in December, now faces the possibility of 14 years in prison.
READ MORE:
* Arrested soldier continues to share white nationalist material.
* Soldier who allegedly exchanged military information was the leader of a white nationalist group
Things He previously disclosed the soldier’s connections to far-right white nationalist groups, prompting authorities to question him after the March 15 terror attack. A group led by the soldier, the Dominion Movement, closed down after the terrorist attack, but later reorganized under a new name.
The soldier continued to be involved in far-right groups after the March 15 attack. Things understands, and had been planning to travel to Russia with his partner a week after his arrest.
A close friend of the soldier’s family told him Things it had already been a “difficult year” for the family.
“It is understandable that they are in a state of shock and need time to digest what is coming. I can’t stress enough that [he] He comes from a good family that has no ties to racist groups.
“The actual charges (espionage, attempted espionage) you only hear about those things in American military movies.”
Wellington’s attorney Christopher Griggs, who has two decades of experience working in military law, said this appeared to be the first time someone had been charged with espionage since the Crimes Act was enacted in 1961.
“When I look through all the New Zealand jurisprudence up to the point of the year, I can’t find any examples of a New Zealand spy case … So that’s a big problem.”
It said the trial of public official Dr. William Sutch, who was accused of giving classified information to a Russian KGB agent in 1974, was the only case that appeared to be similar in New Zealand history.
Later, Sutch was found not guilty on one count of violating the Official Secrets Act.
Griggs said he was not sure if the soldier would eventually face the charges in criminal court, as this depended on information allegedly obtained by the soldier.
A court martial would be headed by three members of the army, who were authorized to view classified information.
“If there is national security information involved, which the Defense Force would not want to put in the public domain, that would suggest that a jury trial is not a particularly good idea.”
Initially, in January, the soldier was charged with accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose and the unauthorized release of information, charges that Griggs also said were unprecedented.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, the Defense Force said the director of military prosecutions had filed 17 charges against the soldier.
The new charges were four counts of espionage and two of attempted espionage; two of possession of an objectionable publication; three counts of accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose; a charge of “performing an act that may impair the discipline of the service or discredit the service”; one count of negligent breach of duty; and four counts of noncompliance with written orders.
No date had been set for the court martial hearing, the statement read.
A spokeswoman for the Defense Forces confirmed that it was the first time that a soldier had been accused of espionage “in modern times”.
A spokeswoman for Defense Minister Peeni Henare said the minister would not comment on the matter as it was before the courts.
Under the Crimes Act, a person can be charged with espionage for communicating or attempting to communicate an object or information to a country or organization outside of New Zealand.
The information may include records, documents, sketches, photographs, or sound recordings.
The crime can be punished with a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
