Two males denied a cost of aiding Hong Kong’s overseas intelligence service in Britain earlier than a London court docket on Thursday.
Chung Biu Yuen, 64, and Chi Leung Wai, 39, also called Peter Wai, pleaded “not responsible” on the Previous Bailey to 2 costs beneath Britain’s Nationwide Safety Act, a regulation handed final 12 months to provide new powers to focus on threats from overseas states.
The boys, each twin Chinese language and British residents, are accused of aiding a overseas intelligence service between December 2023 and Could this 12 months by “agreeing to undertake data gathering, surveillance and acts of deception” in Britain.
They’re additionally accused of conducting “overseas interference” by forcing entry right into a residential deal with on Could 1.
Police have stated the alleged actions have been carried out on behalf of the intelligence service of Hong Kong, a former British colony. The Chinese language Embassy in London has accused Britain of fabricating the costs and stated it had no proper to intervene in Hong Kong’s affairs.
Yuen is a retired Hong Kong police officer and an workplace supervisor on the metropolis’s Financial and Commerce Workplace in London. Wai labored as a UK Border Pressure officer and as a volunteer part-time officer for the Metropolis of London Police.
Their trial, anticipated to final 4 weeks, has been provisionally set for March 10.
A 3rd man who was accused of the identical offences, Matthew Trickett, 37, a former British Royal Marine who labored as an immigration officer and personal investigator, was discovered lifeless in a park in Maidenhead, west of London, in Could, not lengthy after the trio have been charged.
Hong Kong was beneath British rule for 156 years earlier than reverting to Chinese language sovereignty in 1997. There have been rising tensions between the 2 nations over a nationwide safety crackdown since generally violent pro-democracy protests swept the territory in 2019.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer known as final month for “constant, sturdy” relations when he met Chinese language President Xi Jinping as a part of efforts to thaw ties.
This text was produced by Reuters information company. It has not been edited by World South World.
