The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the conviction of eight people for developing a spy network for China, and rejected appeals against the verdict. The High Court in August last year found them guilty of carrying out espionage activities in exchange for a monetary reward.
Three officers from the 601st Brigade of Aviation and Special Forces Command, Lieutenant Colonel Hsieh Meng-shu (謝孟書), and junior officers Ho Hsin-ju (何信儒) and Kang Yi-pin (康奕彬), were handed prison sentences of nine years, seven years and four months, and seven years and two months respectively.
Hsieh and several others, including 601st Brigade junior officer Lu Chun-fang (陸駿方), had filmed videos saying that they would surrender to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army if there is a war, in exchange for money, the court said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Hsieh was promised US$1.5 million in cryptocurrency to fly a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to China’s Shandong (山東) aircraft carrier, the court filing said.
People with knowledge of the plot tipped off the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Political Warfare Bureau, which led to the arrest of Hsieh and his coconspirators, it added.
The case could be traced back to two Taiwanese businesspeople working in China, Hsieh Ping-cheng (謝秉成) and Chen Yu-hsin (陳裕炘), who are both retired army personnel. They agreed to develop a Chinese spy network in Taiwan to obtain classified military information, and to recruit friends and colleagues in active service, in exchange for financial rewards.
Beginning in 2021, Chen and Hsieh recruited several officers, such as army major Hsiao Yi-yun (蕭翔云), and members of the 601st Brigade and other units, including the trio, Hung Jui-yang (洪睿洋), Liu Li-chi (劉立齊) and army officer Wu Chih-peng (吳志鵬).
Wu was later acquitted of all charges.
In yesterday’s verdict, Hsiao received a 13-year prison sentence, Hung got nine years, Lu received a term of five years and six months, Liu received an 18-month sentence, while Hsieh Ping-cheng was handed eight years.
Chen failed to turn up in court. Reports indicate he had fled to China, so an arrest bulletin has been issued for him.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS