PEI Premier Calls for RCMP Probe Following Revelations of Beijing’s Influence Operations in the Province

Prince Edward Island’s government is calling for federal probes into allegations of foreign interference and money laundering in the province, following revelations from an investigation detailing how Beijing exploited immigration loopholes and used elite capture to infiltrate the island.

P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz sent a letter to RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme on Oct. 16, asking the federal police force to investigate evidence related to recent revelations about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operations in the province. He also sent a letter to Sarah Paquet, CEO of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), on the same day, asking the federal agency to investigate allegations of money laundering by foreign actors in the province.

The P.E.I. government said the requests come amid “long-standing speculation” and a recent press conference in Ottawa where former national director of the RCMP’s proceeds of crime program Garry Clement outlined results of an investigation he conducted with Michel Juneau-Katsuya, former head of the Asia-Pacific unit at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), into Beijing’s extensive interference in the province over the years.

Their findings are published in a recently released book called “Canada Under Siege: How Prince Edward Island Became a Forward Operating Base for the Chinese Communist Party.”

“These allegations strike at the heart of our democratic values and the trust Islanders place in their institutions. Islanders deserve clarity,” Premier Lantz said in an Oct. 16 press release. “They deserve to know these matters are being handled by the proper investigative bodies.”

Among the findings of the investigation by Clement and Juneau-Katsuya is that P.E.I.’s Provincial Nominee Program was exploited by wealthy applicants linked to Beijing to gain permanent residence in exchange for investments, which, the authors say, often never materialized.

Clement said at the Oct. 8 press conference that their investigation led them to discover “money laundering, corruption, and elite capture at the highest levels.” Elite capture refers to Beijing’s strategy of courting influential figures in other countries to advance its interests.”

Clement noted that during the time period covered by their investigation, millions of dollars in cash entered P.E.I. in the form of brand-new, consecutively numbered $100 bills—which he described as strong evidence of potential money laundering activity tied to the CCP.

Clement said their investigation was prompted by concerns brought forward by “brave” P.E.I. residents who provided information so troubling it would give “a law enforcement agency sufficient grounds to launch a criminal investigation.”

Also speaking at the Oct. 8 press conference was former Solicitor General of Canada and Liberal MP Wayne Easter, who called for a federal public inquiry into the matter.

Premier Lantz said in his Oct. 16 letter that the recent public statements had caused “understandable concerns” among islanders and renewed attention to “long-standing issues” in the province.

“It was suggested that information exists that could provide grounds for a criminal investigation,” Lantz wrote. “We therefore urge the Federal RCMP to review any evidence available, engage with the individuals who have made these claims, and conduct an investigation into any wrongdoing.”

Lantz noted that the province’s Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission is currently conducting an investigation, launched in February, into land ownership involving some of the entities referenced in Clement and Juneau-Katsuya’s investigation about China’s ambitions to acquire land in the province. He said that any findings suggesting criminal or national security implications would be referred to federal authorities.

The RCMP acknowledged receipt of a request for comment but didn’t provide a response by publication time.

PEI Requests FINTRAC Investigation

In his letter to FINTRAC, Premier Lantz urged the agency to work with law enforcement and regulators to determine whether financial crimes have occurred in the province by those acting for the benefit of foreign actors.

“Recent public statements have suggested that Prince Edward Island may be at risk of being used as a conduit for illicit financial activity, including money laundering tied to foreign interests,” Lantz wrote, adding that the nature of the allegations “warrants careful review by the appropriate federal authorities, including FINTRAC.”

He said the uncertainty surrounding the allegations is creating “unease” among residents, and that the absence of “clear answers” is allowing speculation to emerge. He added that a review by a “credible authority” would help reassure islanders that oversight measures are working properly.

FINTRAC did not explicitly say whether it would launch an investigation as requested by the province, but noted that it remains committed to carrying out its duties within P.E.I. and across the country.

“As a key member of Canada’s broader Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Regime, FINTRAC is committed to fulfilling its mandate as it relates to combatting money laundering, terrorist financing, sanctions evasion and threats to the security of Canada (including foreign interference) within Prince Edward Island and across Canada,” FINTRAC spokesperson Lori Blair told The Epoch Times in a statement.

She said that under the Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act, the agency is unable to speak about information it may have received or financial intelligence it may have disclosed to federal agencies on P.E.I.-related money laundering and foreign interference allegations.

However, she noted that of the 6,236 financial intelligence disclosure packages the agency provided between 2024 and 2025 to support national security and law enforcement investigations, “a number” were provided to law enforcement working within P.E.I.

FINTRAC disclosed 32 cases of non-compliance directly to law enforcement for potential criminal investigation in 2024, making it the largest number of cases disclosed by the agency in a single year, Blair said.

Federal Investigations Not Enough, Says Clement

Clement says the investigations requested by the province may not be enough to fully uncover the issue, and that a federal public inquiry would provide a clearer picture.

“I still feel that a Federal Public Inquiry is a must if we are to get to the bottom of what has taken place and if we want to highlight how elite capture played a significant role,” he told The Epoch Times in a Oct. 16 statement. “An investigation can only focus on a narrow aspect which will fail to provide clarity and a thorough understanding.”

Easter, former solicitor general of Canada, previously voiced a similar opinion, saying that a federal public inquiry would be the best way forward.

“There’s threads leading everywhere in terms of concerns over Chinese involvement in Canada, and I think the operation in Prince Edward Island is key to where things seem to be going—is that a forward operating base to move to other areas of the country?” Easter, who served as the Liberal MP for a P.E.I. riding from 1993 to 2021, said on Oct. 8.

“It’s for all those reasons, tying those threads together, that there’s only one real way to get to the bottom of what is happening, and that would be a federal public inquiry.”

Dean Baxendale, CEO of the China Democracy Fund and Optimum Publishing International—which published Clement and Juneau-Katsuya’s book—and who also took part in the investigations, said the province’s requests are a good first step in bringing attention to the issue.

“We are naturally pleased that the government is catching up with public concern,” he told The Epoch Times on Oct. 16, “but a fully transparent federal public inquiry needs to take place that would involve co-operation with Taiwan and the US and include all Canadian banks, lawyers and accountants.”