TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taipei court on Wednesday sentenced diabolo coach Lu Chi-hsien (魯紀賢) to 12 years and eight months in prison for spying for China and helping leak former President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) itinerary.
CNA reported that the Taipei District Court convicted Lu of two national security offenses, and the ruling can be appealed. Lu had already been sentenced to 10 years and six months in a separate spying case and received a combined sentence of 12 years and eight months in the latest case.
Prosecutors said Chinese intelligence officers recruited Lu after he traveled to China in 2020 to look for diabolo performance work. They said he later received more than NT$5.7 million (US$190,000) from China.
Lu was accused of recruiting people in Taiwan to collect sensitive information for Chinese intelligence officers. Prosecutors said those recruited included military personnel and a China Airlines flight dispatcher, per Liberty Times.
Investigators said Lu told the flight dispatcher to provide information about Tsai’s 2023 overseas visit. The trip took Tsai to Guatemala and Belize and included stopovers in the US.
Prosecutors said the dispatcher used a work computer to access China Airlines’ internal system. He then photographed information about the presidential aircraft’s takeoff times, landing times, and airport details before sending them to Lu.
Lu later sent the information to Chinese intelligence officers, prosecutors said. The dispatcher received NT$45,000 for providing the information.
UDN reported that the court sentenced the dispatcher to five years and four months in prison for violating the National Security Act.
Lu was also accused of using military contacts to obtain classified information. Prosecutors said an Air Force sergeant used a work computer to access an internal military website and pass documents to Lu and another contact.
The court sentenced the sergeant to six years and two months in prison under Taiwan’s anti-corruption law. Another person recruited by Lu was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for violating the National Security Act.
