This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
Published on October 24, 2019, Australian authorities have charged Roger Uren, a former deputy head of the Office of National Assessments, with mishandling sensitive intelligence.
Uren's Canberra home was raided by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation in October 2015, uncovering a stash of classified files.
As the deputy head of the Office of National Assessments, Uren provided intelligence analysis to Australia's prime minister and was once considered a possible ambassador to China.
His Chinese-Australian wife, Sheri Yan, was arrested in the United States on bribery charges around the time of the raid.
Yan pleaded guilty and was jailed in 2016 for conspiring to bribe former UN General Assembly president John Ashe.
Australian MP Andrew Hastie claimed last year that the $200,000 bribe was provided by Chinese Communist Party-linked businessman Chau Chak Wing, who has denied the allegations and sued media organisations for making similar claims.
Uren was arrested last week and appeared before an Australian Capital Territory court, facing allegations he illegally dealt with classified intelligence information.
"The AFP investigation alleges unauthorised removal and retention of classified intelligence information from the man's place of employment," a spokesperson said in a statement.
