Michael Spavor, one of two Canadians detained in China for nearly three years amid a diplomatic crisis, is demanding multimillion-dollar compensation from Ottawa. He claims he was arrested after unwittingly passing information about North Korea to Canada and allied spy agencies.
According to the businessman, the whole thing was orchestrated by his fellow inmate, ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig, The Globe and Mail reported Saturday.
These new allegations provide further information about the reasons that led to the arrest of the two Michaels.
China reportedly arrested the two Canadians in 2018 on espionage charges after Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was arrested by Canada. At the time, Ottawa claimed Beijing had detained the two men in retaliation on trumped-up charges.
However, negotiations are taking place today between Michael Spavor’s lawyer, John K. Phillips, the director general and senior counsel at the federal Department of Justice, and Global Affairs Canada, according to anonymous Globe and Mail sources.
The businessman speaks fluent Korean and is one of the few Westerners who has met North Korean President Kim Jong-un and some of his senior ministers.
Mr. Spavor allegedly claimed that Michael Kovrig passed on information he gave him to the Canadian government and its spy partners, which led to the arrest of the two men.
For its part, Ottawa would have denied the allegations and confirmed that the two Michaels were detained due to Mr. Kovrig’s negligence in his discussions with Canadian authorities about Mr. Spavor. A government official reportedly told the English-language media outlet that the arrests were “completely arbitrary” and not due to “the actions of one person towards another.”
Because the discussions between the two parties are confidential, Global Affairs Canada declined to answer questions from The Globe and Mail.
“Since their release from arbitrary detention, the Government of Canada has remained committed to helping them both rebuild their lives after this difficult ordeal,” department spokeswoman Anabel Lindblad said in a statement. Both men are free to speak about their experiences with arbitrary detention in China. For reasons of confidentiality, no further information can be shared.