LONDON (AP) — Two men accused of helping Hong Kong authorities gather intelligence in the U.K. pleaded not guilty Thursday to violating Britain's Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÒÅÆ×ÊÁÏ Security Act.
Chung Biu Yuen, 64, and Chi Leung Peter Wai, 39, are accused of agreeing to undertake information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception likely to assist a foreign intelligence service.
Yuen was the office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London and Wai had worked as a U.K. Border Force officer.
They had previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of foreign interference for allegedly breaking into a home in the U.K. Wai had also denied a count of misconduct in a public office for allegedly searching Home Office databases without justification when working as a border officer.
The two, who are free on bail, face a March 10 trial in London’s Central Criminal Court.
Officials in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese control in 1997, have voiced concerns over the charges. Beijing officials strongly criticized the case.
A case against a third suspect, Matthew Trickett, an immigration enforcement officer, was discontinued after he was in a park in May. A prosecutor said Trickett attempted suicide after he was charged. Authorities said his death was not considered suspicious.
