The Ministry of Justice has announced charges against two Chinese intelligence officers, accusing them of obstructing a US investigation into telecommunications giant Huawei.
“This case exposes the interconnection between PRC intelligence officers and Chinese companies, demonstrating once again why such companies – especially in the telecommunications industry – should not be trusted to securely handle our sensitive personal data and communications,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa That’s what Monaco said during Monday’s press conference.
In the complaint, the US alleges that he and Wang attempted to recruit a law enforcement officer to work on behalf of the Chinese government
In the complaint, the US alleges that He and Wang attempted to recruit a law enforcement officer to work on behalf of the Chinese government and obtain information regarding the US’s ongoing investigation against Huawei in Brooklyn, New York. But the person was actually operating as a “double agent” on behalf of the FBI, the DOJ said in a Monday press release:.
In one case, the employee gave the Chinese defendants a photo of a falsely classified document related to the Huawei case, the indictment said. The official received $41,000 in Bitcoin after delivering the document. The defendants repeatedly tried to bribe the employee with thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry.
“This was a blatant attempt by PRC intelligence officers to protect a PRC-based company from liability and to undermine the integrity of our justice system,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said at the press conference.
Last year, Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou signed a plea deal with the US to avoid possible allegations of fraud and theft of trade secrets related to the New York investigation.