UK: Ex-Parliamentary researcher arrives at court charged with alleged spying for China

London, UK - April 26, 2024 Former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash, 29, and another man Christopher Berry, 32, arrive at Westminster Magistrates' Court, facing charges under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly gathering information for China. Both defendants will next appear at the Old Bailey on May 10 for a preliminary hearing. The charge alleges that between January 2022 and February 2023, Cash, "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". Berry is accused of the same offence between December 2021 and February 2023. China has dismissed the charges as "self-staged political farce". Cash worked as a parliamentary researcher and was closely linked to senior Tories including Tom Tugendhat - now security minister - and Alicia Kearns, who serves as chairwoman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. He was director of the China Research Group, which was initially chaired by Mr Tugendhat and then Ms Kearns, and had a sceptical view of the UK's relationship with Beijing. [RESTRICTIONS: NO SALES UK AND IRELAND] ( Original Title: UK: Ex-Parliamentary researcher arrives at court charged with alleged spying for China )