1 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: From the Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Claire Harvey. 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:13,120 Speaker 1: It's Wednesday, August thirteenth, twenty twenty five. The Reserve Bank 3 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: has dropped the cash rate a quarter of a percentage 4 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:18,320 Speaker 1: point to three point six percent, the lowest it's been 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: since mid twenty twenty three. IRBA Governor Michelle Bullock says 6 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: don't hold your breath for a big jump in living standards. 7 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: A senior academic is accusing Australian National University Chancellor Julie 8 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: Bishop of bullying. A tearful doctor LZ Allen told a 9 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: Senate committee she was allegedly bullied into near suicide and 10 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:47,480 Speaker 1: miscarried a much wanted baby. Julie Bishop has denied any wrongdoing. 11 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: Those stories alive right now at the Australian dot com 12 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: dot au. Birkenbags are Rolex luxury cars. That's what police 13 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: say they see from the home of a Canberra woman 14 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: they're accusing of spying for the Chinese government. They say 15 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: the unnamed woman was tasked by Chinese intelligence with infiltrating 16 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: a Buddhist religious movement that claims Kevin Rudd is the 17 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 1: reincarnation of a Chinese man today, what she was allegedly 18 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: up to and why police say she's a risk to 19 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 1: the community. On a cold winter morning the week before last, 20 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: Australian Federal Police officers attached to an operation called Autumn 21 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 1: Shield raided the apartment of a married Canberra businesswoman and 22 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 1: allegedly found some items you don't usually see around the 23 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: low key national capital. 24 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 2: Numerous Ermez bags, more than six believed to be Burkean 25 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 2: and or Kelly bags. 26 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: Those are the world's most expensive handbags and this is 27 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: a voice act to reading the words of police in 28 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: court documents. 29 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:08,079 Speaker 2: Large quantities of boxes for luxury handbags that were too 30 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 2: numerous to practicably count during the warrant, five thousand dollars 31 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 2: in cash sorted into one hundred dollar bills. Numerous watch receipts, 32 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,960 Speaker 2: including a twenty four thousand dollars receipt for Arolics, Large 33 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: quantities of luxury and designer brands including Birbery, Gucci and 34 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 2: Louis Vuitton. 35 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 3: There's a lot of mystery around this woman. 36 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: This is The Australian's reporter Leah Mendez, who's been knocking 37 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 1: on doors in Canberra trying to piece together the life 38 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: of this woman whose name has been suppressed. 39 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 3: We're trying to paint the picture of who she is 40 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:50,200 Speaker 3: and what her connections were. She's got this very complex 41 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 3: web of business structures which we're looking into and trying 42 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 3: to kind of get our heads around it. But there 43 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 3: is a lot to unpack here, and I think there 44 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:06,279 Speaker 3: are a lot more to come in this story. 45 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: Police have charged the woman with reckless foreign interference. That's 46 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: a breach of the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act that carries 47 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: a penalty of fifteen years imprisonment. Here's what the charge 48 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,279 Speaker 1: sheet says. We've used an AI. 49 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:27,360 Speaker 4: Voice between twenty twenty two and the present engaged in conduct, 50 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 4: namely covertly or deceptively collecting information and tasking associates to 51 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 4: collect information on Shinling Farmin Guan Yin, Sita Dhamador on 52 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 4: behalf of or in collaboration with a foreign principle being 53 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 4: the Government of the People's Republic of China. And they 54 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 4: were reckless as to whether their conduct would support the 55 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 4: intelligence activities of the Government of the People's Republic of. 56 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: China, in other words, spying and running other spies. But 57 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: it's a lesser charge than in tentional foreign interference which 58 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: could suggest authorities think the woman was less a superspy 59 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: and more a local asset. 60 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 3: They are essentially alleging that she was allegedly receiving these 61 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 3: taskings from a handler attached to the jin Dong branch, 62 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 3: which is about six hundred and fifty kilometers east of Wuhan. 63 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: Court documents say the woman arrived in two thousand and 64 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: seven on a higher education visa and she's now an 65 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,720 Speaker 1: Australian permanent resident. They say when police raided the house 66 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: and seized her phone, they found evidence of a connection 67 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,360 Speaker 1: going back to twenty twenty two with an officer of 68 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: China's Public Security Bureau that's Chinese police, and this officer 69 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 1: allegedly works for the Domestic Security Group of the bureau, 70 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: that is intelligence gathering. Police say the PSB officer back 71 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:59,359 Speaker 1: in China was regularly tasking her with numerous covert and 72 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: deceptive information operations in support of intelligence activities on behalf 73 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,040 Speaker 1: of China. They say she was getting her taskings in 74 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 1: person on her visits to China and on WeChat, the 75 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: Chinese encrypted social media and messaging app. 76 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 3: The taskings that she was allegedly given was quite physical 77 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 3: based taskings where she had to take photos of front 78 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 3: doors of businesses, allegedly mapping locations and financial information about 79 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 3: the organization and the business. And it was an alleged 80 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 3: intel gathering operation that she was doing. She's alleged to 81 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 3: have received more than two hundred and thirty thousand dollars 82 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 3: from the PRC since twenty seventeen. Now, she does have 83 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 3: still very strong links to China. She's a permanent resident here. 84 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,480 Speaker 3: She's got a lot of family in China, but she 85 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,040 Speaker 3: still does have strong connections to Canberra. 86 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: Say she has bank accounts both in Australia and in China, 87 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: and that since twenty seventeen more than two hundred and 88 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: thirty thousand dollars have flowed her way from sources in China. 89 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 3: We are restricted due to a very strict suppression order 90 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:21,159 Speaker 3: in saying what she does for work. I get the 91 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 3: feeling that the Australian Federal Police also do not want 92 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 3: the public to know. They haven't in court pushed for 93 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 3: the suppression order, but they also didn't oppose the suppression order. 94 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,040 Speaker 3: I'll give you an example. There's a mystery item that 95 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 3: costs four hundred thousand dollars that is in her possession 96 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 3: that has been redacted from court documents. We've got a 97 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 3: fair understanding of what that item is, but can't say, 98 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 3: for legal reasons what that is because that could identify her. 99 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: On September one, the matter we'll be back in court 100 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 1: where media organizations including The Australian are arguing for the 101 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: suppression order to be lifted. 102 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 3: She is the one who has applied for this order 103 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 3: because she fears that people that have got anti China 104 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 3: sentiments are going to essentially attack her. 105 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: All that money and fancy stuff. That's what the police 106 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: call unexplained wealth. That is, possessions that can't be explained 107 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: by the earnings of the person who's holding them. Luxury 108 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: goods are generally small and a great way to move 109 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: money around. You can get on a flight with a handbag, 110 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: for example, and take it to another jurisdiction without attracting 111 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: the attention that you might get if you had a 112 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: backpack full of cash. 113 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 3: I'll give you a bit of context here. About ten 114 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 3: years ago, she was working in a job that was 115 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 3: paying her about fourteen hundred dollars a week. Since then, 116 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 3: she's had lots of businesses. She started some businesses during 117 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 3: COVID as well. Some of them, by all accounts, seem 118 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 3: to have done quite well. But still we're talking about 119 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 3: Birkin bags multiple amounts. One of these bags that were 120 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,679 Speaker 3: discovered that police said there were too many to count. 121 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,679 Speaker 3: Some of these bags are alleged to costs around thirty 122 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 3: thousand dollars. We've got other information that implies that she 123 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 3: was driving high end luxury vehicles. We're talking very fancy cars. 124 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: So who was she allegedly spying on and why? The 125 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: police say the woman was tasked with infiltrating a charismatic 126 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: Buddhist group that was founded in Australia. Guan Yinchita Dhamador 127 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: is an Australian founded religious organization whose founder once claimed 128 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was the living reincarnation of 129 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:47,959 Speaker 1: a Chinese man. Guan Yin Chitter Damador claims to be 130 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: a Buddhist organization in the Mahayana tradition, the largest of 131 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,960 Speaker 1: Buddhism streams, although that claim has been questioned by other 132 00:08:55,960 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: Buddhist organizations. Its leader was a Chinese Australian man who 133 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: went by the name Richard Junhong Lu or Master Lou. 134 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:07,680 Speaker 1: He said he was a Chinese national who moved to 135 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: Australia in the late eighties and studied at the University 136 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: of New South Wales. He began radio broadcasts about Buddhism 137 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: and then founded the group, which is registered in Australia 138 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 1: under the name Australia Oriental Media Buddhist Charity. Chinese language 139 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 1: media reported Junhong Lu had died in twenty twenty one. 140 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 1: It's been reported the organization is banned in China, where 141 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 1: major faiths like Catholicism and Islam are required to register 142 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: with the Chinese Communist Party government in order to lawfully 143 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: practice one in Chitadamad'or's website is packed with emotional videos, 144 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 1: glowing testimonials, and Master junhong Lu addressing his adoring followers, 145 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: treat everyone, we're a compassion this role that we are 146 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 1: truly being veiled to wheise love and the peace. Master 147 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: Loo is seen in the video series featuring subtitles apparently 148 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: praying for the salvation of people who've been struck by 149 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: speech impediments or paralysis. He says they're suffering the effects 150 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 1: of bad karma attracted by the deeds of themselves or 151 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: their ancestors. 152 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 3: Man. 153 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 2: That's not big way see psakaykay wiped Alcome. 154 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: This woman is on her knees begging for advice to 155 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:36,839 Speaker 1: help her husband who's in a wheelchair. Master Loo tells 156 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:40,079 Speaker 1: her the husband attracted bad karma by fishing when he 157 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: was a boy. He tells the sister of a little 158 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,240 Speaker 1: girl in a wheelchair to become a vegetarian to release 159 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: the girl from karmic debt. He tells the mother of 160 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 1: a little boy that her son has been possessed by 161 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,559 Speaker 1: the spirit of a dead puppy. 162 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 2: No, I'm not shelting. 163 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: He tells the mother to release five thousand fish to 164 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: cure the boy. Coming up. What happened after police executed 165 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 1: the search warrant on July thirty According to court documents, 166 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: police came to the woman's apartment to execute that search warrant. 167 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,559 Speaker 1: She was there at the time. They seized her passport 168 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 1: and left without arresting her, but it's clear they had 169 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 1: her under surveillance. The next day, July thirty one, according 170 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 1: to court documents. 171 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 4: The defendant engaged in a conversation with an unknown person, 172 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 4: during which the defendant noted that she intends to leave 173 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 4: and had packed six bags of clothes. On the first 174 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 4: of August twenty twenty five, the defendant had a third 175 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 4: party drive her to the Chinese consulate, where she stayed 176 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 4: for about an hour and a half. 177 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,600 Speaker 1: That prompted police to act. They went back to the 178 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: apartment on August two and arrested her and then asked 179 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: the act's Chief Magistrate to deny her bail. They say 180 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 1: the woman has a history of misleading and deceptive conduct 181 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: and could easily flee the country even though they seized 182 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: her passport. They noted her husband is presently in China. 183 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 4: The prosecution of the defendant is therefore directly contrary to 184 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 4: the interests of the PRC and linked to the national 185 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 4: security capabilities and agencies of the People's Republic of China. 186 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:47,520 Speaker 4: The People's Republic of China can issue new travel documents 187 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 4: and urgent travel documents at short notice. The PRC or 188 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 4: allied nation may offer shelter to the defendant should she 189 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 4: be able to attend an embassy or consulate in the 190 00:12:57,960 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 4: event she has bailed. 191 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,920 Speaker 1: Bail was denied and she was taken to the ACT 192 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 1: regional Watchhouse. She declined to participate in a recorded interview 193 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:10,319 Speaker 1: with police. 194 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 3: The interesting thing here is that this is obviously a 195 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 3: foreign interference case. And the way that people are managed 196 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 3: in these cases that they are kept in essentially a 197 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 3: solitary confinement. They're not allowed to interact with other prisoners. 198 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 3: They are very high ranking, almost secretive classification within the 199 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:31,199 Speaker 3: prison system. There are some occasions I'm told that where 200 00:13:31,559 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 3: interstate transfers have even happened. So there's a chance that 201 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,199 Speaker 3: she might not be in the act. But these are 202 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 3: all some of the complex things that authorities have to 203 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 3: deal with when there is someone of her nature facing 204 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,200 Speaker 3: these incredibly serious charges. 205 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 1: Liam Mendez is a reporter with The Australian. Well I've 206 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,559 Speaker 1: got you. On September twenty four, the Australian's throwing one 207 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 1: of our most exciting forums. It's called Energy Nation and 208 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: it will feature leaders and decision makers talking about how 209 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: to turn Australia into an energy superpower. Secure your sport 210 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: now at the Australian dot com dot au