TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Four former DPP staffers have been indicted for allegedly spying for China, with prosecutors seeking an 18½-year sentence for Huang Chu-jung (黃取榮).
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office charged Chiu Shih-yuan (邱世元), Huang, Wu Shang-yu (吳尚雨) and Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑) with breaching the National Security Act and other laws, per CNA. Huang is also indicted by the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office for helping develop an espionage network for China; that case will be tried by the Taiwan High Court.
Investigators allege Huang, a former aide to DPP New Taipei Councilor Lee Yu-tien (李余典), was recruited by Chinese intelligence in 2017 and, along with Chiu, received NT$6,077,500 (US$203,000) and NT$2,216,924, respectively, for gathering political intelligence. They then sought classified information from Wu, a former Presidential Office adviser, and Ho, who served the foreign minister, including sensitive details on official visits by the president and vice president.
Searches of the four suspects’ homes in February and April led to their detention under incommunicado orders. With the probe complete, prosecutors formally charged them with leaking and delivering classified information to Chinese agents, violating both the Classified National Security Information Protection Act and the National Security Act, as well as money-laundering under the Money Laundering Control Act.
Prosecutors said Huang and Chiu recruited Ho and Wu to obtain state secrets over an extended period, then transmitted the data via communication apps. Huang and Ho deny the charges and are accused of fabricating stories to mislead investigators.
For Huang, prosecutors seek over nine years each for two violations of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act plus at least 18 months for money laundering. Ho faces more than nine years. Chiu, who confessed, faces over seven years for classified-information violations and over a year for money laundering. Wu, who also confessed, faces a sentence of more than five years.
Prosecutors have asked the court to confiscate all illicit gains obtained by Huang and Chiu.
