John Adoyi, PBA Journalism MenteeA formal British Security official at the British Embassy in Berlin, German has been jailed for more than 13 years for spying for Russia.
David Ballantyne Smith, 58, was sentenced to prison for spying for the Russian Embassy in Berlin for three years.
He was caught after British intelligence went undercover, posing as Russian officials.
According to reports, Smith who worked at the Embassy for five years, collected sensitive information about the United Kingdom to supply the Russian embassy in Germany.
Prosecutors say that Smith “expressed views that were anti-West and anti-NATO to other employees and expressed support for (Russian President) Vladimir Putin.”
Though Smith pleaded guilty in November 2022 to eight offences under the Official Secrets Act of the United Kingdom, he said he was driven to “teach the embassy a lesson” because he felt maltreated.
Rejecting his claim, tbe presiding Judge Justice Mark Wall, said to Smith “I am sure that you committed these crimes intending to assist Russia, a state which at that time, as now, was regarded as unfriendly to the United Kingdom.”
“Your motive in assisting them was to damage British interests,” Judge Wall added.
An official at the British embassy in Germany said as a result of Smith’s action, the embassy had carried out a review of security details of staff and of the embassy, costing the embassy £825 thousand (993,630 United States Dollar).
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