An Australian IT specialist named Alexander Csergo has been charged with supplying sensitive information to foreign intelligence agents after being approached two years ago by two foreign spies who offered to pay him for national security information.

Mr Csergo has been accused of meeting the two representatives in Shanghai where he was offered money to obtain information about Australian defence, economic and national security arrangements.

This is only the second case of an Australian being charged with anti-spying laws which were put in place five years ago.

The maximum penalty for reckless foreign interference, for which Mr Csergo is accused, is 15 years’ imprisonment.