3 men charged in the UK with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service
By DANICA KIRKA
Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Three men have appeared in a London court on charges that they helped the Hong Kong intelligence service gather information in Britain amid growing concern that hostile states are trying to interfere with democracy and economic activity in the U.K. Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, were granted bail during a brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday. The men, who sat side-by-side in the glass-fronted dock, spoke only to confirm their identities. Police allege that between Dec. 20 and May 2, Yuen, Wai and Trickett agreed to engage in information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist the Hong Kong intelligence service.