Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑) was detained and held incommunicado yesterday on suspicion of spying for China during his tenure as assistant to then-minister of foreign affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮).
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said Ho was implicated during its investigation into alleged spying activities by former Presidential Office consultant Wu Shang-yu (吳尚雨).
Prosecutors said there is reason to believe Ho breached the National Security Act (國家安全法) by leaking classified Ministry of Foreign Affairs information to Chinese intelligence.
Photo: Chien Li-chung, Taipei Times
Following interrogation, prosecutors petitioned the Taipei District Court to detain Ho, citing concerns over potential collusion or tampering of evidence.
The district court yesterday granted Ho’s detention.
As part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged infiltration of the Presidential Office by Chinese spies, prosecutors said they found that former DPP member Huang Chu-jing (黃取榮) — a former assistant to New Taipei City Councilor Lee Yu-tien (李余典) — was allegedly recruited by Chinese intelligence while conducting business in China years ago.
After returning to Taiwan, Huang allegedly began collecting sensitive information in exchange for rewards, leveraging his political connections within the DPP to recruit additional insiders, the investigation found.
Among those he is suspected of recruiting are his friend Chiu Shih-yuan (邱世元), former deputy director of the DPP’s Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, and Wu Shang-yu, who at the time served as secretary to President William Lai (賴清德) during his vice presidency, prosecutors said.
Wu Shang-yu worked as Presidential Office staff consultant after Lai assumed the presidency in May last year.
Wu Shang-yu allegedly continued to pass on information about Lai’s itineraries — including details of presidential visits to allied nations — to Chiu, prosecutors said.
Chiu then reportedly relayed that information, some of which involved national security matters, to Huang, who allegedly transferred it to Chinese intelligence agents, they said.
Huang also allegedly recruited Ho, who had been working for National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, including during his time as minister of foreign affairs, prosecutors said, adding that Ho allegedly began collaborating with Huang while still employed at the ministry.
Ho is accused of collecting sensitive information from the ministry and passing it to Huang, who allegedly conveyed it to Chinese intelligence operatives.
On Feb. 18, prosecutors searched the offices and residences of Huang and Chiu, subsequently detaining both and holding them incommunicado the following day.
Following the detentions, the Presidential Office dismissed Wu Shang-yu from his post. On Feb. 23, prosecutors searched his residence and office, and detained him for questioning. Wu Shang-yu was also placed in detention and held incommunicado the next day.
Prosecutors said they had been gathering evidence after they obtained sufficient grounds to suspect that Huang recruited Ho as a Chinese spy.
The investigation accelerated after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) publicly disclosed Ho’s identity, prompting immediate search and interrogation operations, they said.
Hsu on Wednesday at a legislative meeting accused a National Security Council senior specialist, surnamed Ho, of spying for China, but it turned out to be another person whose name is the same as Ho Jen-chieh’s.
The office of Joseph Wu yesterday said that Ho Jen-chieh had left his post at the foreign ministry in March last year.
The office said it would support the judicial system in administering sanctions against anyone who is involved in treason, infiltration or “united front” activities to the detriment of public welfare, regardless of their political background or identity.
Ho is the latest DPP figure to be implicated in an espionage case.
Last month, Sheng Chu-ying (盛礎纓), a former assistant to several DPP lawmakers — including former legislative speaker You Si-kun — was released on bail as authorities continue investigating allegations that he was recruited by Chinese intelligence during a trip to China.
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