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Charges against two individuals implicated in espionage for China have been dropped by prosecutors. Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, who denied the allegations under the Official Secrets Act, were relieved following the decision. The accusations were dismissed by Beijing as “malicious slander” against the pair.
The two men were initially accused of collecting and sharing information detrimental to the safety and interests of the state between December 28, 2021, and February 3, 2023. Christopher Cash expressed his relief and described the past two years since his arrest as a “nightmare.” He hopes that valuable lessons are drawn from this unfortunate incident.
During the court proceedings, Prosecutor Tom Little announced that no evidence would be presented against the defendants, leading to the decision to halt legal proceedings. The Crown Prosecution Service determined that the evidence collected did not meet the required threshold for a trial. The Home Office expressed disappointment over the decision, emphasizing the seriousness of the allegations and the continued commitment to combat hostile activities. Christopher Berry, a teacher from Witney, and Christopher Cash, residing in Whitechapel, London, were apprehended in March 2023 as part of a counter-terror investigation.
It was reported that Christopher Cash was associated with the Parliament’s China Research Group (CRG), with access to various Conservative MPs, including former security minister Tom Tugendhat and then-foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns. Despite the charges, Mr. Cash’s colleagues at CRG expressed disbelief at his arrest. Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb declared the two men not guilty, indicating her satisfaction with the verdict. The Chinese embassy spokesperson refuted claims of espionage, labeling them as fabricated. The government previously warned of Chinese espionage targeting UK officials from political, defense, and business sectors, with reports of Chinese agents infiltrating Parliament and funding political figures
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