Former Parliamentary Researcher Claims He Was a 'Convenient Fall Guy' in China Spying Case
A British man, Chris Cash, who was acquitted of spying for China, told the BBC that he was used by UK police and security services to highlight foreign state espionage threats. Cash revealed that a Chinese official sought information regarding sensitive UK political matters, including the 2022 Tory leadership contest.
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According to the BBC UK, Chris Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, stated that he was a "convenient fall guy" for UK police and security services, who reportedly aimed to bring espionage threats from foreign states to public attention.
Cash provided the BBC with over 6,000 messages that demonstrated how a Chinese official attempted to gather information concerning sensitive political issues within the UK, which included the 2022 leadership contest for the next prime minister of the Conservative Party.
In his initial interview following his acquittal—an acquittal that led to a political dispute regarding the government's lack of designation of China as a "threat"—Cash acknowledged that he acted "unprofessional and naive" by sending "gossiping" texts to his associate, Chris Berry, while Berry was in China at the time.
Berry, who was also acquitted of espionage, declined to comment on the matter but had previously stated that he had been "unfairly subjected to a trial by media" and denied any wrongdoing.
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