Chinese Foreign Interference Suspect Allegedly Donated $37,000 to Australian Hospital to Gain Influence, Court Told

Duong Di Sanh departs from the Melbourne Magistrates' Court in Melbourne, Australia, on May 17, 2022. Former Liberal Party candidate Di Sanh Duong is charged with preparing an act of foreign interference within Australia following a year-long investigation by ASIO and the AFP. AAP Image/James Ross

The first person to be charged under Australia’s ground-breaking foreign interference laws is in court defending allegations he was “preparing for a foreign interference offence.”

Duong Di Sanh, a Melbourne-based Asian community leader, appeared in the local Magistrates Court on May 17 following a year-long investigation by the Australian Federal Police and the domestic spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.