The Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday turned down a request to get involved in the investigation into former Mainland Affairs Council deputy minister Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) on allegations of treason.
The director of the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau, Chen Rong-fu (陳榮富), and three other bureau officials took the material that the bureau had gathered so far in its probe into Chang’s actions to the prosecutors’ office yesterday afternoon.
Chen spent an hour discussing the case with office Director-General Wang Tian-sheng (王添勝) and prosecutors Kuo Wen-tong (郭文東), Tseng Chao-kai (曾昭愷) and Yu Li-chen (余麗貞).
Photo: Chang Wen-chuan, Taipei Times
However, the prosecutors’ office declined to take over the investigation, citing a lack of evidence that would bring the case under the office’s remit.
Kuo said the office asked the bureau to gather more evidence before sending its case to it for review.
Chang is being investigated for allegedly violating the National Security Information Protection Act (國家安全機密保護法) by divulging “confidential” information on at least two separate instances.
Under the act, information is given three designations: top secret, secret and confidential.
“Confidential” is applied to information that would cause identifiable damage to national security.
However, there is no indication that the allegations against Chang involve either the unintentional divulging of confidential information or a deliberate act.
Senior prosecutors said the fact that the bureau took the case directly to the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office and not a local prosecutors’ office shows that the case touched on national security issues.
Such violations may be tied into violation of Article 109 of the Criminal Code, which could lead to a prison sentence of one year to seven years, senior prosecutors said.
Additional reporting by CNA
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
DEROGATORY: WTO host Cameroon’s designation of Taiwan as a ‘province of China’ seriously undermines the nation’s status and rights as a WTO member, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned Cameroon for listing Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China” in visa documents for an upcoming WTO ministerial conference, a move that led to Taiwan’s withdrawal from the event. The designation “seriously undermined” Taiwan’s status and rights as a WTO member, the ministry said in a statement. It is the first time since 2001 that Taiwan has declined to attend a WTO Ministerial Conference. The conference is scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday next week in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. Taiwan had planned to send a delegation led by Minister Without Portfolio
RSS