Death of former UK marine Matthew Trickett charged with spying for Hong Kong sends shock waves through city, officials refuse to comment on ‘speculation’
- Former Royal Marine Matthew Trickett found dead in UK park, according to local police, who say death being treated as ‘unexplained’
- He was on bail along with two others also accused of spying for Hong Kong in high-profile case that has put spotlight on city’s overseas trade offices
Matthew Trickett, a Home Office immigration officer, was found dead in a park in Maidenhead, Berkshire, on Sunday, according to Thames Valley Police, who said on Tuesday they were treating the death as “unexplained”.
The Berkshire force added that because Trickett had prior contact with its officers and was required to report to a police station regularly, it had referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), a routine procedure when there is a death after police contact.
The IOPC said the incident should be investigated by the force’s professional standards department, which looks at possible misconduct by police officers and also handles complaints from the public.
Hong Kong authorities declined to comment. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the government would not comment on individual cases.
Trickett was released on bail by a court last week along with Peter Wai Chi-leung, 38, and Bill Yuen Chung-biu, 63, pending their next court appearance, scheduled for Friday.
