‘Insidious’: Di Sanh Duong facing jail for foreign interference over $37k donation

Prosecutors say former Liberal Party candidate Di Sanh Duong made an “insidious” attempt to influence a ex-federal minister to advance the aims of the Chinese Communist Party.

Former Liberal Party candidate Di Sanh Duong. Picture: David Crosling

A Melbourne businessman is facing jail time for his “insidious” attempt to influence former federal minister Alan Tudge to advance the aims of the Chinese Communist Party.

Di Sanh “Sunny” Duong, 68, became the first person to be convicted of planning to commit an act of foreign interference over a $37,450 donation to the Royal Melbourne Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The former Victorian Liberal candidate and long-time party member used the donation to cultivate a relationship with the former Education Minister as a preparatory act to influence him to advance the aims of the CCP.

Prosecutor Patrick Doyle SC told the County Court on Wednesday Duong’s conduct was “particularly insidious” and difficult to detect, as he used his charity work and position as a Chinese community leader to gain access to the upper ranks of the Liberal Party.

While Duong positioned himself as a loyal Liberal Party member, Mr Doyle said he was actually a “practised operative” of the United Front Work Department, a global CCP program of influence which aims to advance the goals of China in foreign countries.

Di Sanh ‘Sunny’ Duong and Alan Tudge at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 2020. Picture: Twitter

In June 2020, Duong made a $37,450 donation to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, claiming the funds were to help frontline healthcare workers and to counter anti-Chinese sentiment during the pandemic.

He presented a novelty cheque and stood next to Mr Tudge as it was handed over to the hospital’s CEO at a media event organised by the minister’s office.

Duong’s trial last year heard he was in regular contact with China’s Ministry of State Security and sought to influence Mr Tudge because he believed he could be a future prime minister.

Mr Doyle told the court Duong concealed his CCP links from senior Liberal Party members by talking up his long standing membership and loyalty to the Liberal Party.

In an intercepted phone call with former Liberal Party president Robert Clark, Duong said he was “always” concerned about the party before putting forward policy ideas he wanted adopted.

Former federal minister Alan Tudge leaves the Victorian County Court after giving evidence in Duong’s trial. Picture: David Crosling

In another call to one of Mr Tudge’s staff, Duong described himself as a community leader who had been involved in fundraising and known the minister for years.

“He’s actually conscious of how these approaches might come across,” Mr Doyle said.

In March 2019, Duong sent Mr Clark a list of ideas the Coalition should take to the federal election including that China be allowed to build high speed rail from Melbourne to Brisbane funded with mining resources and for Australia to join the Belt and Road initiative.

Duong’s lawyer David Carolan on Wednesday said his client’s offending was “unsophisticated” and he was unlikely to reoffend because he had been “outed” as he pushed for a non-custodial sentence.

He said Duong arrived in Australia from Vietnam as a refugee on a boat and was involved in charitable work and the Chinese community in Melbourne for much of his life.

“His community work is very very impressive,” he said.

“He’s a refugee who came here with nothing and built a life.”

Duong faced a three-week trial last year before he was found guilty by a jury in December, making him the first person to be tried and convicted since foreign interference laws were passed in 2018.

The offence carries a maximum jail term of 10 years.

He remains on bail and will be sentenced on February 29.