TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Supreme Court has rejected a final appeal against a seven-year prison term for an Air Force captain who supplied China with information about the Hsiung Feng III missile, reports said Friday.
The anti-ship missile has a range of 150 kilometers, with a more recent version able to reach targets 400 km away. The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology also developed an air-launched version with a reach of 150 km and weighing less than 1,000 kilograms.
Retired Air Force pilot Shih Chun-cheng (史濬程) asked Captain Hsu Chan-cheng (許展誠) to collect confidential documents about the Hsiung Feng III before passing them on to China, the Liberty Times reported. Shih received NT$2.1 million (US$66,000) from China, and paid Hsu a total of NT$226,000 in several installments.
The information involved included documents about military drills, Taiwan’s response to intrusions by Chinese aircraft, and the use of Hsiung Feng III missiles by the Indigenous Defense Fighter.
While Hsu admitted his actions and gave up his income from the spying, Taichung District Court ruled he betrayed his country and found him guilty of corruption. He was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison, but the Taiwan High Court reduced his term by four months. A final appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court Friday.
The judicial process for Shih has not reached its end yet. The retired officer was sentenced to two years and two months for breaking the National Security Act, but a separate 10-month sentence of one year and six months for corruption could still be appealed, the report said.
