Two men arrested in early 2019 on suspicion of helping Huawei to spy for China have begun their trial in Poland, reports Reuters.
Polish prosecutors allege that Wang Weijing, 39, using the cover of being a Huawei executive, spent more than seven years spying for China trying to bolster the company’s ability to influence the Polish government and “enable it to… manage the state… technology infrastructure”, court documents show.
Wang’s efforts were allegedly assisted by a former member of the Polish secret service.
The Polish defendant, Piotr D., who had been released upon paying bail after six months and had worked for years in the top echelons of government, is accused of “offering himself as a source of information” regarding public administration.
Polish law requires that the surname of Piotr D. remains undisclosed though it is believed he became an employee of Orange after leaving Poland’s Internal Security Agency (Agencja Bezpieczeństwa Wewnętrznego, ABW). The prosecution claims that Piotr D. provided Wang with inside knowledge of Poland’s cybersecurity capabilities, with the result that Wang could gain access to classified information without triggering network alarms.
Huawei’s treatment of their former employee raises doubts about their motives. Huawei sacked Wang after his arrest, but have also provided money for his legal fees. If they believe Wang is innocent, then why was he fired? If they believe he is guilty, why do they want to secure his acquittal?
You can read the Reuters article here.
