Sunny Duong: Alleged Chinese spy who donated to Liberal politician Alan Tudge faces court
An alleged Chinese “spy” has emphatically stated his innocence before a Melbourne court in the first case of its kind.
An alleged Chinese spy will face criminal proceedings after a Melbourne judge declared there was strong enough evidence to commit the accused to stand trial.
Di Sanh Duong, otherwise known as “Sunny”, is the first person to be charged under the then Turnbull government’s 2018 foreign interference legislation.
Prosecutors allege 67-year-old Duong, who lives in the wealthy Melbourne suburb of Surrey Hills, sought to cultivate a relationship with former Coalition Minister Alan Tudge from March to June in 2020 and use that relationship to advance the interests of the Chinese Communist Party.
A significant part of the case against Mr Duong concerns a $37,000 donation he made to the Royal Melbourne Hospital on June 2, 2020.
The Australian Federal Police allege the money, which came on behalf of the Oceania Federation of Chinese Organisations, of which Mr Duong was president, was intended to leverage an undeclared political influence.
At the time Mr Tudge was the multicultural affairs minister in the Morrison government.
The AFP also allege that a shipment of masks promised by Mr Duong to aid Australia during the pandemic was also motivated by a desire to gain influence over Mr Tudge.
In the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday, Magistrate Susan Wakeling decided there was enough circumstantial evidence to commit the accused to trial and was satisfied that the evidence “taken at its highest” could support a guilty conviction.
But Mr Duong, who has pleaded not guilty to the charge of preparing for a foreign interference attempt, said there was no evidence to link the donation to the Chinese Communist Party or any “covert purpose”.
His defence has argued that the small amount of masks he was able to procure during the pandemic is further evidence that he was not acting on behalf of the CCP.
Mr Duong, a former member of the Liberal Party who ran for the then state seat of Richmond, on Thursday appeared in court where proceedings were conveyed to him through a translator.
His bail was extended but with strict conditions attached, including a prohibition on leaving the country.
Mr Duong has already surrendered his passport, the court was told.
The matter was listed for a directions in the County Court on August 25.