A court in Sydney, Australia nailed down a suspected flight risk and denied bail to a businessman just days after his arrest.
Alexander Csergo is the second person ever to be charged with violating Australia’s foreign interference laws. They criminalize activity that helps a foreign power interfere with Australia’s sovereignty or national interest.
Officials say he accepted cash from suspected Chinese intelligence agents who contacted him through social media.
“It is alleged that on a number of occasions the man met with two individuals, known to him as ‘Ken’ and ‘Evelyn’, who offered the man money to obtain information about Australian defence, economic and national security arrangements, plus matters relating to other countries.”
Those individuals are believed to serve China’s Ministry of State Security.