The UK trial of the HKETO staffer begins…
Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 65, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 38, are alleged to have carried out surveillance on Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners claiming asylum in the UK.
They are charged with offences under the National Security Act.
Yuen is a former Hong Kong police officer who was working for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, while Wai was working for the UK Border Force, was a volunteer Special Constable with the City of London Police and used to work for the Metropolitan Police.
…Opening the case for the prosecution, Duncan Atkinson KC said that Wai had misused Home Office and police computer systems to conduct searches for personal gain.
This included gathering information about people from Hong Kong claiming asylum in the UK and at one point he was being paid £2,000 a month, according to the prosecution.
…Among those the pair allegedly targeted was Monica Kwong, who has been accused of fraud by her employer Tina Zou. She says the accusation is false and she had been “set up”.
According to the prosecution, Yuen and Wai “undertook surveillance on her address, as if they were a legitimate UK police operation”.
Atkinson told the jury the men decided “to force their way into Monica Kwong’s home as if they were a legitimate police operation”, at which point the UK police, who were watching, intervened.
The jury heard that Yuen holds British and Hong Kong passports. He is employed by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London as an office manager and is the third most senior person there.
I don’t suppose the Hong Kong authorities will rush to comment.
It’s not unusual to read about NatSec cases for two days in a row – except that these are both from the UK. In the next one, British police arrest three men on suspicion of spying for China. Two are partners of current or former Members of Parliament…
In a Commons statement, Dan Jarvis, the security minister, confirmed that the arrests related to China and said he could give no further details so as not to risk the police investigation.
“I can also confirm this relates to foreign interference targeting UK democracy,” Jarvis said. “If there is proven evidence of attempts by China to interfere with UK sovereign affairs, we will impose severe consequences and hold all actors involved to account.”
…he hinted that those arrested were connected to MPs by saying that people should realise that foreign powers would not just target politicians but those close to them.
In a BBC report…
Scottish Labour MP Joani Reid has said “I am not part of my husband’s business activities” after three men were was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
Reid said she has “never seen anything” to make her suspect her spouse, David Taylor, has broken any law.
…”I am not part of my husband’s business activities and neither I nor my children are part of this investigation, and we should not be treated by media organisations as though we are.
“Above all I expect media organisations to respect my children’s privacy.”
Reid added that she had never been to China nor had she ever spoken on any China-related matters in the House of Commons.
“…As far as I am aware I have never met any Chinese businesses whilst I have been an MP, any Chinese diplomats or government employees, nor raised any concern with ministers or anyone else on behalf of, even coincidentally, Chinese interests.
“I am a social democrat who believes in freedom of expression, free trade unions and free elections. I am not any sort of admirer or apologist for the Chinese Communist party’s dictatorship.”
…The Met said the three arrests and subsequent search activity were supported by counter-terror police in Wales and in Scotland.