Chinese dissident says he was berated by ‘pro-regime’ interpreter for UK police
Summary
A Chinese dissident living in the UK said a translator working for Devon and Cornwall police criticized him during a call for help when his bank accounts were frozen by China. The translator, who spoke with a Chinese accent, questioned his reasons for fleeing China and refused to fully translate his urgent situation to police.Key Facts
- Hong Qi, a Chinese dissident in the UK, called police for help after his bank accounts were frozen by Chinese authorities.
- The call was to the non-emergency UK police number on 20 December.
- The interpreter assigned to the call interrupted and challenged Qi, asking why he did not love China and taunted his financial troubles.
- The interpreter refused to translate Qi’s emotional appeals during the 20-minute call.
- Devon and Cornwall police said the interpreter was hired through a contractor paid £130,000 per year for translation services.
- The police force did not provide a recording of the call despite Qi’s requests; the Information Commissioner’s Office reprimanded the force for this.
- A report linked to the Home Office confirmed concerns about Chinese government influence in Mandarin interpreters in UK policing.
- The report recommended increasing the number of Mandarin-speaking police to avoid reliance on possibly compromised interpreters.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.