Fees dropped towards Christopher Money and Christopher Berry

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Prosecutors have dropped fees towards two males, together with a former parliamentary researcher, who had been accused of spying for China.

Christopher Money, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33, had beforehand denied the fees beneath the Official Secrets and techniques Act. Beijing has referred to as the allegations "malicious slander".

The 2 males had been accused of gathering and offering data prejudicial to the protection and pursuits of the state between 28 December 2021 and three February 2023.

Talking exterior the Previous Bailey following the choice to stop authorized proceedings on Monday, Mr Money stated he was "relieved that justice has been served".

He described the 2 years since his arrest as a "nightmare" and stated he hoped "classes are realized from this sorry episode".

Prosecutor Tom Little instructed the the court docket that his workforce would provide no proof towards the lads and that "we merely can not proceed to prosecute this case".

The court docket heard that the Crown Prosecution Service had decided the proof it had gathered didn't meet the brink to go to trial. The pair had been attributable to seem at Woolwich Crown Courtroom from 6 October.

The Dwelling Workplace stated it was "disappointing that they won't face trial given the seriousness of the allegations".

"We'll proceed to make use of the total vary of instruments and powers to protect towards malign exercise," it added in an announcement.

Mr Berry, a trainer from Witney in Oxfordshire, and Mr Money, of Whitechapel in London, had been arrested in March 2023 as a part of an investigation that concerned counter-terror police.

They had been accused of amassing data which was "calculated to be, could be, or had been supposed to be, straight or not directly, helpful to an enemy".

It had been reported that Mr Money was concerned with Parliament's China Analysis Group (CRG).

He was understood to have had entry to a number of Conservative MPs, reportedly together with former safety minister Tom Tugendhat and then-foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns.

Defending Mr Money, Henry Blaxland KC stated his consumer's colleagues on the CRG had "expressed disbelief" at his arrest.

"We solely hope that he'll be capable of rebuild his life," he added.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb stated she was "fairly happy" and entered the 2 males into not responsible verdicts.

After they had been charged, a Chinese language embassy spokesperson stated "the declare that China is suspected of 'stealing British intelligence' is totally fabricated".

They urged the UK "to cease anti-China political manipulation and cease placing on such a self-staged political farce".

The federal government has beforehand stated Chinese language spies had been concentrating on UK officers throughout the political, defence and enterprise sectors as a part of an more and more refined espionage operation.

In December, senior judges upheld a decision by MI5 to warn that an alleged Chinese language agent, Christine Lee, had infiltrated Parliament and funded a Labour MP, amongst others.