UK parliament Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle issued a letter to MPs warning them that a lady named Christine Lee had been involved in political interference actions on behalf of China, communicating with members at the parliament, MI5 reported.
Ms Lee has “facilitated financial gifts to serving and prospective lawmakers on behalf of foreign people residing in Hong Kong and China…done surreptitiously to hide the origins of the money,” according to MI5.
Late Thursday night, China disputed the charges, claiming it had no need to “purchase influence” in any foreign legislature.
Barry Gardiner, a Labour frontbencher and former minister, has been revealed as an MP who received big donations from the woman, and he confirmed that her son worked for him.
Ms Lee has been the subject of a long-running investigation, but Thursday’s allegations concerning her are “quite recent,” according to Home Secretary Priti Patel, who added that what Ms Lee has been up to is below the criminal threshold, but the alert puts MPs on notice.
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