An Australian man charged with a foreign interference offence will remain behind bars until Monday after his case was adjourned in Sydney.
Alexander Csergo, a 55-year-old businessman who normally lives overseas, was arrested in the Sydney suburb of Bondi on Friday for allegedly sharing information with individuals who work for a foreign intelligence service, the Australian federal police said in a statement.
Csergo appeared at Parramatta local court on Saturday morning via video link on one count of reckless foreign interference, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years behind bars. He will appear again on Monday when he will apply for bail.
He is the second person to be charged by the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce since the federal parliament passed the Espionage and Foreign Interference bill in 2018.
The AFP alleges Csergo – operating in Shanghai, China, as well as New South Wales and elsewhere – was contacted over social media by an individual who claimed to be from a thinktank.
Csergo allegedly met with two individuals, known to him as “Ken” and “Evelyn”, who offered the man money to gather information about Australian defence, economic and national security arrangements, plus matters relating to other countries.
The AFP alleges Csergo put together a number of reports for them and was paid for his reports between about 1 February 2021 and 14 April 2023.
The police allege “Ken” and “Evelyn” work for a foreign intelligence service and were undertaking intelligence collection activities.
Csero’s LinkedIn page suggests he has worked in China for a period of two decades across communications, business strategy and marketing.
He describes himself as a “multi award winning integrated communications, technology infrastructure, business strategy and operational transformation specialist”, with an academic background in psychology, information technology and marketing.
Prior to relocating to China he was employed at Telstra, Cellarmasters and the Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
The AFP said other Australian citizens and residents may have also been approached by “Ken” and “Evelyn” and has urged anyone with information to come forward.
“Espionage and foreign interference pose a serious threat to Australia’s sovereignty, security and integrity of our national institutions,” the AFP said.
“The Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce, which includes Asio and the AFP, is working to disrupt the threat and mitigate the harm from foreign interference and espionage.”
