Suspected spy Di Sanh Duong has quit the Victorian Liberal Party
Alleged spy Di Sanh Duong was facing expulsion from the Liberal Party, but he quit before his membership could be discussed at the next meeting.
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The Chinese Communist Party-linked Liberal charged under new foreign interference laws has quit the Liberal Party.
Di Sanh Duong was facing expulsion from the party after it was revealed he was still a paid up member after becoming the first person to be charged under the new laws.
The revelation prompted state party leader Michael O’Brien to write to the director of the Liberal Party asking that Mr Duong’s membership be on the agenda at the next meeting in accordance with party rules.
Under the move Mr Duong would have faced suspension or expulsion from the party.
The alleged spy has also been stood down from his role at the Museum of Chinese Australian History.
A man and woman arrived at the Surrey Hills home owned by Mr Di Sanh Duong about 9.50pm on Friday.
The man was wearing a baseball cap and had a face mask on, while driving the Toyota four-wheel-drive.
He and the woman did not respond to media questions.
Michael Shoebridge, director of defence, strategy and national security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the prosecution of Mr Duong will be watched closely from overseas.
“These actions have been congealing for some time … these are longer frequency waves rather than short frequency waves – it’s a deeper long term interaction,” he said.
Mr Shoebridge said there will be “high international interest” in the test case as it progresses to the courts.
“Foreign interference is a topic multiple governments are now putting much more resources into and there will be interest from other governments about how it is prosecuted under Australia’s legislation,” he said.
Museum of Chinese Australian History CEO Mark Wang on Friday announced Mr Duong had been stood down as deputy chairman in the wake of the counterespionage investigation.
Mr Wang distanced the museum from the scandal amid claims it has been taken over by Chinese Australians sympathetic to the Chinese Communist Party.
“We are an Australian Museum that supports the life and culture of multicultural Australia and has a strong policy not to promote any political view point,” he said.
Mr Duong was charged with planning an act of foreign interference following a 12-month investigation by the domestic spy agency, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police.
Police suspect he was involved with a foreign intelligence agency.
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