Australian charged over reports to suspected Chinese spies

SYDNEY (AP) — Prosecutors in Australia say two suspected Chinese spies gave a Sydney businessman envelopes of cash for information about subjects including a government deal with the U.S. and Britain to build a fleet of Australian nuclear-powered submarines. The businessman, Alexander Csergo, was refused bail when he appeared in a Sydney court charged with one count of reckless foreign interference. The charge, under laws against covert foreign interference and espionage legislated in 2018, carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence. He is accused of accepting money from two suspected spies in exchange for reports on Australian defense, economic and national security arrangements while he worked in China. His lawyer says the reports are from publicly sourced documents and aren’t espionage.