Two men are Accused under the Official Secrets Act of Spying for China

Both a man and a UK parliamentary researcher have been accused of spying for China after supplying material that may have been “useful to an enemy”.

The Official Secrets Act was used to file charges against researcher Christopher Cash, 29, and researcher Christopher Berry, 32.

According to the Met Police, they are charged with providing “articles, notes, documents or information” to a foreign state.

“Very serious” is how counterterrorism cops have described the accusations.

In March of last year, Mr. Berry of Witney, Oxfordshire, and Mr. Cash of Whitechapel, London, were taken into custody in relation to the investigation.

One of the men, Mr. Cash, was a parliamentary researcher for the China Research Group, according to earlier reports, and he is rumored to have had access to other Conservative MPs.

The researcher reportedly had access to foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns and security minister Tom Tugendhat, among others, according to The Sunday Times.

The allegations against Mr. Berry, of Witney, Oxfordshire, are said to have occurred between December 28, 2021, and February 3, 2023; the charges against Mr. Cash, of Whitechapel, London, are said to have occurred between January 20, 2022, and February 3, 2023.

The chief of the Counter Terrorism Command, Cdr Dominic Murphy, described it as a “very complex investigation.”

“We’ve worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service as our investigation has progressed and this has led to the two men being charged today,” he stated.

“We’re aware there has been a degree of public and media interest in this case, but we would ask others to refrain from any further comment or speculation, so that the criminal justice process can now run its course.”

According to the Met, on March 13, 2023, officers had previously detained two men: one in his 30s at a residence in Oxfordshire and the other in his 20s at a residence in Edinburgh.

After that, both males were freed on police bail while the investigation was ongoing, and the CPS was given the case file to review in late 2023, according to the police.

The accusation states that the accused “for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state, obtained, collected, recorded, published, or communicated to any other person articles, notes, documents or information, which were calculated to be, might be, or were intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy” .

The appearance of the two individuals at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 26th, has been bailed.

According to a statement from Nick Price, head of the CPS’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, “Criminal proceedings against the defendants are ongoing.” Nobody should post, discuss, or publish anything on the internet that would jeopardize their right to a fair trial.”