An accused Chinese double agent was last night indicted to stand trial for allegedly copying secret US documents from her FBI agent lover's briefcase.
A federal grand jury ordered millionaire socialite Ms Katrina Leung (49) to stand trial on five counts, including obtaining and copying secret intelligence documents about China.
But the indictment did not accuse Ms Leung of espionage - only of being a double agent. She faces two counts of copying national defense documents, and three of unauthorised possession of national defence documents.
Ms Leung, a US citizen and prominent fundraiser for the Republican Party, is accused of taking and copying the papers from the briefcase of her lover, former FBI agent Mr James Smith (59).
If convicted on all charges, Ms Leung, who has been held without bail since her arrest in Los Angeles on April 9th, faces up to 50 years behind bars, the US attorney's office here said.
The charges were handed down in Los Angeles a day after a grand jury indicted Mr Smith on charges of wire fraud and allowing the removal of classified documents through his gross negligence.
AFP