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British ex-embassy guard admits spying for Russia [1]
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Date: 2022-11-11 16:09:10+00:00
A British security guard at the UK's embassy in Germany has pleaded guilty to violating the Official Secrets Act after he passed information to Russia, officials have said.
David Ballantyne Smith, aged 58, was said in court to be motivated by an intense hatred for his homeland.
Mr Smith, who worked at the Berlin embassy for eight years, was also said to have been angered at its flying the Rainbow flag in support of gay people.
He admitted to eight charges last week, but that could not be reported at the time as he was denying a ninth count.
Prosecutors have now said they will not press for a trial on the ninth charge, removing the reporting restrictions.
Mr Smith lived beyond his means, but €800 in cash was found at his home in Potsdam when he was arrested by German police in August last year, the Old Bailey court heard.
Searches of his electronic devices found the draft of a letter dated May 2020 in which he offered his services to a Russian diplomat.
After that letter, he was in contact with Sergey Chukhurov, the Russian military attache in Berlin, handing over information on various British civil servants.
He collected intelligence on the operation of the embassy and delivered some material that was officially marked "Secret".
Mr Smith faces a maximum jail term of 14 years for spying. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Separately, Swedish prosecutors have indicted two brothers for gross espionage on behalf of Russia, saying the alleged crime could be detrimental to the Nordic country's security.
The men, aged 42 and 35, have been detained since last year and have previously denied all allegations. Their lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment.
"The suspicion concerns very serious criminality directed against Sweden's intelligence and security system. The offense is serious as it concerns circumstances of major importance," the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement.
The two men are suspected of having provided Russian intelligence agency GRU with classified information for a decade, starting in 2011.
One of the brothers have worked for the Swedish Security Police and the Armed Forces during the period, according to court documents.
"The information that has been obtained, transmitted and divulged could, by the fact that if it comes into the hands of a foreign power, result in detriment to Sweden's security," the Prosecutor's Office said.
Most parts of the criminal investigation are confidential, it said.
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[1] Url:
https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2022/1111/1335604-russian-spying/
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