"The head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the case collapsed because evidence could not be obtained from the government referring to China as a national security threat. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson, who is the most senior prosecutor in England and Wales, said the CPS had tried to obtain further evidence from the government "over many months" and that witness statements did not meet the threshold to prosecute."
"Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, an academic - who have both consistently maintained their innocence - were charged under the Official Secrets Act in April 2024. They were accused of gathering and providing information prejudicial to the safety and interests of the state between December 2021 and February 2023. The case against the pair alleges that they passed politically sensitive information to a Chinese intelligence agent, which was then handed to a senior member of the Chinese Communist Party."
Two men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, were charged under the Official Secrets Act in April 2024 for allegedly gathering and providing information prejudicial to the safety and interests of the state between December 2021 and February 2023. Prosecutors dropped the case weeks before trial because they could not obtain government evidence referring to China as a national security threat. The Crown Prosecution Service and the Director of Public Prosecutions said witness statements did not meet the threshold and that further evidence had been sought over many months. Some legal experts questioned whether that evidence was necessary. Downing Street said the CPS made the decision without ministerial involvement.
Read at www.bbc.com
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