Court holds bail hearing for ex-Hydro-Quebec employee accused of selling secrets to China

A former Hydro-Quebec employee charged with economic espionage for the benefit of China was in court again Wednesday for a bail hearing.

 On the first of the two-day hearing at the Longueuil, Que. courthouse, attorneys took turns questioning witnesses, trying to determine the likelihood that 35-year-old Yuesheng Wang, if released, would leave the country before standing trial.

Prosecutor Marc Cigana argued in court that he believes Wang is a flight risk.

"One: He's not a Canadian citizen. Two: He's not even a permanent resident of Canada. He's not a landed immigrant, although he applied. He was here on a visa, a work permit specifically to work for Hydro-Quebec," he said.

For years, Wang worked on electric vehicle battery materials at Hydro-Quebec's Center of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage in the off-island Montreal suburb of Varennes.

The Crown alleges he used his access to conduct research for a Chinese university and another Chinese research facility. The RCMP arrested Wang on Nov. 14 at his home in Candiac. He faces charges of obtaining trade secrets, unauthorized use of a computer, fraud for obtaining trade secrets and breach of trust by a public officer.

"We have evidence sufficient to charge him that he stole industrial secrets from Hydro. Hydro is the main victim, apart from the Canadian public in general. So the very company he was supposed to work for, he stole industrial secrets from, and he's not a citizen of the country," said Cigana.

For that reason, the Crown has asked the judge not to grant Wang bail.

Defence attorney Gary Martin argues if Wang wanted to leave the country, he likely would have after he was fired by Hydro-Quebec, 12 days before his arrest.

"He could've easily slipped away, but he didn't," said Martin. "Like I asked the court, did he put his house for sale or show any plans to buy or purchase travel tickets, flight tickets or anything like that?"

The process is delayed because the defendant requires a French-to-Mandarin translator.

The court will reconvene for the second day of hearings Thursday, when the judge will decide whether to set bail.