MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A jury in Sydney has found a business consultant guilty of violating Australia’s foreign interference statutes after he supplied intelligence reports to two individuals who were likely Chinese operatives.
Alexander Csergo, 59, becomes just the second individual convicted under Australia’s anti-espionage and covert interference legislation that was enacted in 2018, drawing criticism from China at the time.
The New South Wales District Court jury determined that Csergo should have realized that two contacts he knew simply as Ken and Evelyn were operatives for China’s ministry of state security.
Following his conviction on reckless foreign interference charges, Csergo was granted bail through the weekend and must appear in court Monday, when prosecutors will seek his detention. The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment.
Defense attorneys contended that Csergo relied on publicly available information for his research work. They noted he fabricated stories to the suspected operatives, including false claims about conducting interviews with prominent figures such as Kevin Rudd, Australia’s former prime minister who now serves as the nation’s U.S. ambassador.
While working as a communications and technology consultant in Shanghai during 2021, Csergo was contacted via LinkedIn by someone calling herself Evelyn, who claimed to represent a Chinese research organization.
In exchange for payment, he delivered handwritten intelligence assessments to both Evelyn and Ken covering defense matters, security issues, political developments and mining operations. His reports included information about the AUKUS defense agreement, under which Britain is assisting Australia in acquiring nuclear-powered submarines using American technology.
