Taiwan: Prosecutors office indicts four former DPP members for alleged espionage on behalf of China

Taipei [Taiwan] June 10 : The Taipei District Prosecutor's Office has indicted four former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members for alleged espionage on behalf of China, Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

According to a CNA report, the office on Tuesday indicted Huang Jung and Chiu Shih-yuan for revealing or providing sensitive national security information to China, disclosing, delivering, or sending confidential material for official use to China, and laundering money.

According to the statement, the Taiwan High Prosecutors' Office also charged Huang with "developing a criminal organisation" for China. The high court has jurisdiction over the initial trial since the case concerns dangers to national security and social stability, according to the statement, as reported by CNA.

Ho Jen-chieh was charged with the first two crimes. In contrast, according to the statement, Wu Shang-yu was charged with disclosing or providing secret national security information to a foreign government. CNA reported, citing the statement, that the four are currently in prison.

Huang, who previously worked as an aide to DPP New Taipei Councillor Lee Yu-tien, was allegedly recruited by Chinese intelligence while on business in China in 2017, according to prosecutors.

After returning to Taiwan, he obtained private material, including details about the president's and vice president's visits to ally nations, from Chiu, the former deputy head of the DPP's Taiwan Institute of Democracy, according to Focus Taiwan.

According to prosecutors, Huang reportedly transmitted the classified material to Chinese intelligence while also paying Chiu, Ho, and Wu Shang-yu several thousand Taiwan dollars.

Prosecutors stated in their sentencing recommendations that Huang and Chiu had engaged in espionage for an extended time, obtaining confidential information from Ho and Wu Shang-yu in exchange for illicit payments from Chinese intelligence agencies, which constitutes serious criminal conduct.

Prosecutors also claimed that Ho, while serving as a senior advisor on security and foreign affairs, broke the nation's trust by leaking sensitive material over time, posing a major threat to national security, according to Central News Agency (CNA) report.

Prosecutors took Wu Shang-yu's activities seriously since he cooperated with Chiu and divulged critical material. As per the report, prosecutors also stated that Huang and Ho denied any misconduct during the inquiry and manufactured false information to mislead authorities.

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