In a park, a deceased British man is suspected of having worked for Hong Kong's intelligence agency.
The authorities in Maidenhead, Berkshire, are looking into the mysterious death of Matthew Trickett, aged 37, whose lifeless body was discovered by a passerby in a local park last Sunday, as stated by Thames Valley police.
Matthew Trickett and two more individuals made their appearances at Westminster Magistrates' Court on May 13, with each of them charged with violating national security laws. They were all given bail.
According to the police, Trickett was under police supervision, waiting for his case hearing while required to register at a police station frequently.
In a sad statement to British newspaper The Times, Trickett's family shared: "We are grieving the loss of a treasured son, brother, and family member."
Both the Chinese Embassy in Britain and Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee have expressed their indignation and denial of the allegations brought forth.
The diplomatic relationship between Hong Kong and its former colonizer, Britain, has experienced a downward spiral over recent years due to large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019 and 2020.
The British government has severely criticized Hong Kong's Beijing-aligned actions against virtually all opposition since the protests, while Hong Kong authorities have balked at Britain sheltering pro-democracy leaders who are on the lookout for the Hong Kong police.
The indictment makes claims that between December 20, 2023, and May 2, 2024, the three men had plotted to gather information, carry out surveillance, and engage in deceptive activities that would in all likelihood help a foreign intelligence agency.
Additionally, the police accused the trio of forcibly breaking into a UK residential property on May 1, according to PA media.
The court granted bail to each of the three individuals, but they had to adhere to a nighttime curfew and regularly report to their nearest police station.
During a recent press conference, Lee confirmed that one of the men accused was an office manager at Hong Kong's Economic and Trade Office in London but did not clarify whether it was implicated in monitoring Hong Kong dissidents in the UK.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office is in place to encourage cultural and commercial interactions between the people and businesses of Hong Kong and Britain. Lee added, "Any effort to bring unsupported accusations against the Hong Kong government is totally inconceivable."
Further reporting by Lucas Lilieholm, Chris Lau, and Jerome Taylor in Hong Kong.
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The investigation into Matthew Trickett's death has led authorities to question if his work for Hong Kong's intelligence agency could have had implications beyond the UK's borders.
Despite the allegations against Hong Kong's intelligence agency, which operate extensively in Asia, the Chinese Embassy and Hong Kong's Chief Executive have strongly denied any involvement.
Source: edition.cnn.com
