Ottawa – December 17, 2021 – Kibwe Ngoie-Ntombe, an Australian man living in Kelowna, B.C., recently pleaded guilty after being charged by the RCMP's War Crimes Section for Wilful Promotion of Hatred, in connection with a criminal investigation dubbed Project Arrow.
On December 16, 2021, the accused attended the B.C. Provincial Court and entered a guilty plea to one count of Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm under Section 264.1(1)(a), as well as one count of Wilful promotion of hatred under Section 319(2) of the Criminal Code of Canada. His sentencing is set for January 17, 2022.
This investigation was led by the Extraterritorial and Sensitive Investigations team, which is part of the National Division RCMP's Sensitive and International Investigations section. It was launched in June 2020, after a complaint was received through the Department of Justice Canada, under Canada's War Crimes Program. The complaint related to videos circulating online in which a man was alleged to have uttered threats towards people living in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The quick action of the investigators allowed for the immediate intervention and stopped the continuation of the offences.
"I am very proud of the women and men who worked together on this investigation. These highly skilled police officers and civilian employees had to review very graphic material in the pursuit of justice. Their collective efforts have combined to send a message that the wilful promotion of hatred and propagation of intolerance is not accepted in Canada, and I am hopeful that this early resolution will provide some closure and peace to the victims."
– Inspector François Courtemanche, Officer in Charge of the RCMP War Crimes Section
The RCMP is grateful for the efforts of its partners from the Department of Justice, Canada Border Services Agency, The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), the FBI and the Australian Federal Police, who assisted throughout this investigation. The RCMP also recognizes the ongoing commitment to the prosecution by staff at the British Columbia Prosecution Service. Without their effort and professional dedication, this resolution would not have been possible.
The RCMP participates in Canada's War Crimes Program by defending Canada from being a safe haven for, and contributing to the fight against impunity against, those who promote hatred around the world. Using Canada as the launching point to distribute messages of hate and promoting violence against marginalized ethnic groups anywhere is not acceptable, and the RCMP remains committed to detecting, disrupting and deterring these types of offences.