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An Australian marketing professional who has been working in China for two decades has faced court after becoming just the second person arrested under Australia’s foreign interference laws.
Alexander Csergo appeared on a screen at Parramatta Local Court on Saturday facing one charge of reckless foreign interference, which has a maximum penalty of 15 years in jail.
Alexander Csergo (inset) appeared in court facing one charge of reckless foreign interference after he was arrested in Bondi on Friday (right).Credit: LinkedIn/AFP
Wearing a black hoodie and glasses, the 55-year-old watched via video link from Surry Hills Police Station as his bail hearing was adjourned to Monday.
He greeted and thanked the magistrate, but made no other comments in court.
Csergo is the second individual charged by the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce since the Commonwealth Parliament passed the National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill in 2018.
Police will allege that part of Csergo’s conduct was “covert and involved deception” and he was reckless as to whether his activities would support the intelligence activities of a foreign principal. The alleged offences occurred between February 2021 and April 14 2023, police say.
Federal police claim two foreign spies recruited Csergo to gather Australian defence and security secrets.
They allege an individual claiming to be from a think tank contacted Csergo via social media while he was outside Australia and made arrangements for him to meet with the individual’s representatives.
The AFP said that on a number of occasions Csergo met two people known to him as “Ken” and “Evelyn”, who offered him money to gather information about Australian defence, economic and national security arrangements as well as matters relating to other countries.
He allegedly compiled multiple reports for “Ken” and “Evelyn” and received payment for those reports.
Police will allege in court “Ken” and “Evelyn” work for a foreign intelligence service and are undertaking intelligence collection activities.
The AFP believes other Australian citizens and residents may have been approached by the pair and urged those contacted to provide information to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.
Csergo, whose LinkedIn page describes him as a “multi award-winning integrated communications, technology infrastructure, business strategy and operational transformation specialist”, was arrested at a home in Bondi on Friday afternoon.
The page suggests Csergo moved to China in 2002, after working in marketing for a number of companies in Australia including Telstra, Hyatt Hotels, as well as advertising agency Leo Burnett.
He then worked for a number of companies in China and Singapore, with clients including Volkswagen China, and has been in his current role as president of global innovation and transformation at Conversys, a digital solutions company based in Shanghai, since 2017, the page says.
A neighbour, who asked not to be identified, said Csergo had been living in Bondi for the past few months with his elderly mother, after returning from China.
The neighbour said Csergo was “working constantly” abroad, but had been raised in Sydney’s east and attended Waverley College.
“His mother has been here forever, ever since she moved to Sydney. He grew up here,” they said.
Another neighbour said Csergo’s mother was very distressed about his arrest.
“It is distressing for all of us; I am in total shock,” she said.
“As far as I knew, he is in advertising, I don’t know what he has got to do with selling secrets.”
Csergo will apply for bail at the Downing Centre on Monday.
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