OTTAWA — A Canadian woman identified by media outlets as the NATO intern arrested in Belgium on espionage allegations was previously found to have committed fraud during a federal government hiring process.Canadian media have identified the woman as Biwei Zhang, who has also used the names Claire and Catina.Belgian authorities have not publicly named the accused, describing her only as a Canadian citizen of Chinese origin. The identification has therefore not been independently confirmed by prosecutors.Zhang previously worked for Statistics Canada and pursued positions elsewhere in the federal public service.Federal Court file T-1484-23 shows the Public Service Commission investigated her conduct during an internal Canada Border Services Agency appointment process.The commission concluded Zhang committed fraud after submitting two applications to the same competition under the names Biwei Zhang and Claire Zhang..She subsequently completed the qualifying examination twice without informing the government about the duplicate applications.Zhang sought judicial review of the commission’s decision, but the Federal Court dismissed her challenge in 2024.The finding was administrative and related to a federal hiring competition. It was not a criminal fraud conviction.Public records also connect Zhang to research involving artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles at the University of Ottawa.Her professional history includes work or placements connected to Statistics Canada, the National Research Council, the Canadian Space Agency and other governmental or international organizations.Despite the earlier Public Service Commission finding, Zhang was later accepted for an internship at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, known as SHAPE, in Mons, Belgium.SHAPE accepts approximately 35 interns each year. Participation may require an appropriate security clearance from the applicant’s home country, depending on the work being performed.Global Affairs Canada has said it makes the final decision on security clearances for Canadians working with international organizations following security assessments conducted by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.Belgian authorities searched the woman’s residence and workplace on July 23 before arresting her the following day.Prosecutors allege she spied for an unidentified third country and was a member of a criminal organization. They have not disclosed what information she allegedly obtained or the country for which she is accused of working.None of the allegations has been proven in court.NATO has said there is no indication the alleged activity affected its operational readiness, command arrangements or ongoing work.Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree called the allegations “quite serious” and said the federal government would examine how the woman passed Canada’s screening process.“We are going to get to the bottom of what happened,” Anandasangaree said earlier this week.The case has raised questions about whether the Public Service Commission finding was considered when Zhang underwent the security assessment required for her NATO placement.
