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.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there