A Conservative Party parliamentary researcher and another man have been charged with spying for China, following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation led by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.
Parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash, 29, and Christopher Berry, 32, were charged with offences under the Official Secrets Act 1911, the Metropolitan Police Service confirmed on Monday.
It is alleged that between Jan. 20, 2022 and Feb. 2, 2023, Mr. 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. Contrary to section 1(1)(c) of the Official Secrets Act 1911.”
Mr. Berry was charged with the same offence between Dec. 28, 2021 and Feb. 3, 2023.
‘Extremely Complex Investigation’
Mr. Berry, from Witney in Oxfordshire, and Mr. Cash, from Whitechapel in East London, have been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday.Both men had been arrested and released on bail in March 2023. The investigation continued, and a case file was passed to the CPS for consideration later that year. The Attorney General gave consent to charge on April 3, 2024. The CPS then gave authorisation to charge Mr. Berry and Mr. Cash with the above offences.
As a parliamentary researcher, Mr. Cash had interactions with a number of Conservative MPs, including Alicia Kearns, the chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and security minister Tom Tugendhat.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “This has been an extremely complex investigation into what are very serious allegations. 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.
“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.”
Nick Price, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, confirmed the two men had been “charged with providing prejudicial information to a foreign state, China, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 26.”
“Criminal proceedings against the defendants are active. No one should report, comment or share information online which could in any way prejudice their right to a fair trial,” Mr. Price added.
