TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Media reported on Tuesday (Jan. 17) that the massive National Health Insurance (NHI) data leak uncovered last week could pose a national security threat.
Sources told Mirror Media there were more than three NHI employees, as was initially reported, with an unusually high number of data queries on the NHI system. Army intelligence officers, presidential office staff members, and those working for the criminal-investigation and counter-intelligence agency might have fallen prey to the data leak after prosecutors' week-long internal investigations.
The report said in a search of his residence, Yeh Feng-ming (葉逢明), a retired NHI Administration (NHIA) chief secretary, was found to possess multiple local and offshore bank accounts under the names of his family members. Bank records show large cash inflows of unknown origin following each of Yeh's trips to China, which exceeded 10 in recent years.
The total deposits were reported at over NT$1 billion (US$33 million). The NT$1 billion is believed to come from selling the stolen NHI data to unknown parties in China, according to Mirror Media.
Last week, NHIA employee Hsieh Yu-lien (謝玉蓮) was found to have queried data on those working in the investigation bureau, immigration bureau, and police departments. She had reportedly accessed the data of 130,000 citizens from the NHI system.
However, a follow-up investigation this week found another female employee, surnamed Yang (楊), searched approximately 150,000 people's data in the system. Prosecutors reportedly are looking at her role in connection with Yeh's case.
Prosecutors are not ruling out that there are other accomplices in the NHI Administration (NHIA).
According to Taiwan's National Intelligence Service Act, querying, collecting, and leaking personal information of those working for intelligence agencies is a felony. The official and senior employees could be charged with breaching national security.
In response to the latest Mirror Media report, the NHIA issued a statement on Tuesday (Jan. 17) saying the employees in question had all been removed from their posts and barred from the NHI data query system during the investigation.
