By Canadian Press

Two men charged in Ivory Coast for trying to blackmail MP Tony Clement

Jan 21, 2019 | 9:15 AM

OTTAWA — Two men in Africa’s Ivory Coast have been charged with trying to blackmail Canadian MP Tony Clement by posing as a woman online and demanding money after Clement shared explicit sexual images with them.

RCMP confirmed Monday the two men arrested by the Ivory Coast’s cyber-crimes unit were charged in connection with Clement’s case.

In November, Clement asked the RCMP to investigate after he admitted to sending sexually explicit images to what he believed was a “consenting female,” but later learned was an online account being run by “foreign actors” trying to extort him for 50,000 euros.

The Ontario MP and one other alleged victim both received electronic invitations from a “Brianna Dounia” — a fake online profile that appeared to belong to a young white female, according to information published by the Ivory Coast’s cyber-crimes agency.

After receiving explicit photos and videos from the two victims, the alleged perpetrators demanded 50,000 euros from Clement and 300,000 euros from the other victim as ransom, threatening to expose the videos to the world.

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A digital forensic laboratory linked the fake online account to a phone number, which in turn led authorities to the two suspects. They are being identified only by the initials CH and DML. Ivory Coast officials say the two have been questioned and could face prosecution for charges that include: fraudulent use of identification, illegal registration of private communication, threats to publish sexual images and attempted fraud on the internet, the Ivorian police agency reported.

The RCMP continues to work on the case thanks to “excellent collaborative efforts with its international law enforcement partners,” the national RCMP media-relations service said in a statement.

Clement, 57, initially told Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer the incident involving blackmail was an isolated one and resigned from his role as Conservative justice critic and from his committee positions.

He was later booted from the Conservative caucus after admitting to having had inappropriate online relationships with more than one woman. A number of women posting on social-media sites said that Clement had befriended them online, seemed to follow their activities closely, “liked” many of their photos and sometimes contacted them privately through direct messages, often in the wee hours of the morning.

In an open letter to his constituents in Parry Sound-Muskoka in November, Clement apologized to the women with whom he engaged in online exchanges and to anyone else who felt he crossed a line or was made to feel uncomfortable.

He said his constituency office would stay open and that he will remain an MP.

Clement is married to lawyer and author Lynne Golding.

He formerly served as a cabinet minister in Ontario and in Stephen Harper’s government and was twice a candidate for the federal party leadership.

Teresa Wright, The Canadian Press