Hong Kong minister demands UK give details on death of Matthew Trickett, accused of spying for city
- Algernon Yau meets senior British diplomat over spying row and death of Matthew Trickett
- Trickett, whose death has been classified by police as ‘unexplained’, was one of three people accused of spying on behalf of Hong Kong
Algernon Yau Ying-wah, the minister for commerce and economic development, made the call on Thursday as he met a senior British diplomat over the spying row and the incident in which Trickett was found dead in Grenfell Park in Maidenhead, a town west of London, on Sunday.
Trickett, whose death was classified by police as “unexplained”, was one of three suspects charged with assisting an overseas intelligence service and foreign interference between December 2023 and May this year. British authorities alleged the trio acted on behalf of Hong Kong.
Trickett was released on bail by a court last Monday along with Bill Yuen Chung-biu, an office manager at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, and Peter Wai Chi-leung, 38, a director of a private security firm.
“[Yau] demanded the UK side to give an open account of the incident as soon as possible to let the public know the truth and prevent unwarranted speculation,” a spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said.
He added the minister had also urged London to handle the matter fairly, protect the lawful rights of the arrested and ensure the normal operation of the city’s trade office in the capital.
While the government’s statement did not name Trickett, the spokesman said Yau reiterated the government’s concern “especially about the death of an individual reportedly to be a British immigration officer arrested by the UK police”.
The Post has reached out to the British consulate for comment.
The three suspects were charged under the British National Security Act for allegedly carrying out surveillance against Hong Kong activists living in the United Kingdom.
The bureau spokesman said all activities of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices were lawfully conducted and the UK government was obliged to ensure the normal work and activities of the outposts were not disrupted and could proceed in an orderly manner.
The city has 14 such offices overseas, shouldering the major role of promoting bilateral trade ties.
Aside from London, they are in Geneva, Washington, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Brussels, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney, Jakarta, Bangkok, Singapore and Dubai.
