Three staffers of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have been reportedly detained without visitation rights and are being investigated on suspicion of spying for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Their detention comes at a time when several DPP members have been accused of and investigated for spying or contravening the National Security Act (國安法).
The reports named Presidential Office consultant Wu Shang-yu (吳尚雨), former DPP worker Chiu Shih-yuan (邱世元) and assistant Huang Chu-jing (黃取榮) as suspects.
Photo: Taipei Times and courtesy of readers
Chiu was the former vice president of the DPP’s Taiwan Institute of Democracy, while Huang is an assistant to New Taipei City Councilor Lee Yu-tien (李余典).
The case is being investigated by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, who questioned the three individuals.
Due to the seriousness of the allegations and the risk of collusion, prosecutors reportedly requested they be detained without visitation rights, which was granted by the courts.
The prosecutors’ office said yesterday that the investigation is ongoing and they would not comment on reports that Taiwanese nationals involved in national security cases had been detained.
However, an informed source said that several members of the DPP have been involved in national security breaches, including leaking sensitive information such as President William Lai’s (賴清德) travel itineraries.
Those individuals were detained in mid-February and prosecutors are continuing investigations into the extent of the breaches, people familiar with the matter said.
It is not being ruled out that the investigation may be expanded, they added.
It was reported on Wednesday that Sheng Chu-ying (盛礎纓), an assistant to former legislative speaker and founding member of the DPP You Si-kun (游錫堃), was released on bail amid an investigation into allegations that he was recruited by Chinese intelligence agents during a trip to China.
Sheng is accused of exchanging sensitive legislative information for cash payments and cryptocurrency, beginning in 2019.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office is continuing investigations into Sheng, suspected of contravening the National Security Act, while he remains under electronic monitoring and cannot leave the country.
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