A man who identified himself as “Richard” yesterday posted a letter online saying he had been wrongly accused of forcing women into prostitution and engaging in money laundering in Palau, and that the Republic of China embassy in Palau did nothing to help him.
In the letter, Richard said he had been left helpless and could be arrested soon after Palauan prosecutors return to work after the holidays. If he is imprisoned, he faced other risks, such as being killed by other inmates, the letter read.
He said he posted the letter online seeking “a slim chance of survival.”
Richard suggested that the government suspend aid to Palau and pull its technical missions out of the country, adding that he urged Taiwanese to never consider Palau as a destination for travel or investment.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Steve Hsia (夏季昌) said Richard had reported the case to the embassy in Palau on Wednesday and that the embassy would provide him with the necessary assistance.
Former Czech Republic-based Taiwanese researcher Cheng Yu-chin (鄭宇欽) has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage-related charges, China’s Ministry of State Security announced yesterday. China said Cheng was a spy for Taiwan who “masqueraded as a professor” and that he was previously an assistant to former Cabinet secretary-general Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰). President-elect William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday last week announced Cho would be his premier when Lai is inaugurated next month. Today is China’s “National Security Education Day.” The Chinese ministry yesterday released a video online showing arrests over the past 10 years of people alleged to be
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