politics
Home Office Official Convicted of Spying for Chinese Intelligence
British newspapers reported that a Home Office official has been found guilty of working for Chinese intelligence as part of a shadow policing operation targeting dissidents. The case involved access to a sensitive immigration database and is described as the first conviction for Chinese espionage in the country.
May 7, 8:19 PM·2m read1 source
citizen.co.zaAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
The official and an associate were convicted as part of what papers described as a shadow policing operation directed at Chinese dissidents living in the country. The Daily Mail called the matter an unprecedented case. It identified the immigration officer as Chi Leung "Peter" Wai and the retired Hong Kong police officer as Chung Biu "Bill" Yuen.
The Telegraph focused on how a flexible working policy in the Home Office enabled the breach. One of the men accessed the Atlas database, which holds passport details and addresses of foreign nationals. The Telegraph described the conviction as the first case of its kind and the first for Chinese espionage.
Officials have not released further details on the scope of information that may have been obtained.
The Express quoted a Labour MP who said it is time for the prime minister to stand aside after an anticipated poor performance in those elections. The Times reported that the energy secretary has privately suggested the prime minister should set out a timeline for departure.
The paper said two senior Labour figures are viewed as having support from enough MPs to trigger a leadership contest. The i Paper offered a contrasting account, stating that one of those figures lacks the backing needed after a recent meeting in Sheffield yielded no commitments.
It identified the mayor of Manchester as a preferred candidate among some party members.
The Guardian reported that schools have been warned to remove images of pupils from websites and social media. The alert concerns blackmailers using the photos to create sexually explicit images. The Financial Times examined market concentration on Wall Street.
