Turncoat: British Man Caught Spying For Russia In German Consulate
David Ballantyne Smith, a former security guard at the British embassy in Berlin, is set to appear before a London court this week after being suspected of attempting to collect for Russia.
According to BBC, Smith is scheduled to appear before the Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on Thursday in connection to his arrest in Germany on August 10, 2021.
Smith, who is 57-years-old, was arrested by German police after allegedly collecting and sharing information with Russian officials between October 2020 and August 2021 while working as a guard at the British embassy in Berlin.
The British national was previously residing in Potsdam, Germany, before being flown back to the United Kingdom on Wednesday in preparation for Thursday’s trial.
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Smith is reportedly facing nine separate charges in connection to the suspected collection and sharing of sensitive information, information that allegedly almost ended up in the hands of the Kremlin before the proper authorities intervened.
The nine alleged offenses are violations of the Official Secrets Act, a legislation put in place to provide protection regarding state secrets and official information that are mainly related to national security and the potential jeopardization of a country’s national security.
Nick Price, the man in charge of the special crime and counter terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), recently revealed that Smith is accused of seven offences in connection to the suspected collection of information with the intent of sending it to the Russian authorities.
Smith is also accused of one offence in connection to his suspected attempt to communicate with an individual he believed was a member of the Russian authorities, as well as one additional offense in connection to providing information to an individual he believed was a member of the Russian authorities.
Price further revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service worked closely in tandem with the German authorities to formally obtain an extradition warrant so they could legally return Smith back to the United Kingdom to face a trial for his suspected crimes.
Although Smith is due in court Thursday, he has yet to release a statement regarding the allegations against him.