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Officials seek inspiration for undercover framework

The Ministry of Justice said yesterday that it would take stock of undercover investigation systems used in other countries to create a similar system in Taiwan.

Chiang Huei-ming (江惠民), director of the ministry's Department of Prosecutorial Affairs, said the ministry had planned to unveil a draft undercover investigation system at the end of May, but because of misgivings about some legal aspects and other technical details after discussing it with the National Police Administration (NPA), the ministry decided more time was needed to work on the system.

Chiang made the remarks after the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister paper) reported that Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) had instructed the ministry as well as the NPA to push for an "undercover investigation law."

A draft law proposed by the ministry stipulates that undercover agents could conduct major crime investigations under approved aliases or identities within a certain period of time.

The crimes involved cover illegal immigration, drugs or arms trafficking and other crimes that pose a threat to law and order and national security, the Liberty Times reported.

Chiang said the NPA was in favor of a law allowing undercover work, as it would help crime investigations.

The ministry also supports the law, but said that technical details, such as protection of the identities of undercover personnel and their safety, still needed to be addressed.

Chiang said that a US police officer serving undercover in one state could be transferred to another state after completing his or her mission, and given a change of identity to ensure the officer's safety. By comparison, Taiwan is tiny and its personnel system follows a set procedure concerning identity registration.

"In Taiwan, the protection of the personal data of undercover officers will have to be carefully thought out," he said.

In the absence of an undercover investigation law, Chiang said, it is very difficult for the NPA to send police officers on undercover assignments without violating the law.

He said that whether undercover officers could be pardoned if they committed a crime to gain criminals' trust was also a matter that needed to be studied when drafting the law.
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