The National Security Bureau (NSB) yesterday confirmed that it had launched an investigation into whether foreign funding is involved in scandals embroiling Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), who allegedly organized “surveillance teams” to tail politicians and hackers to collect and leak data.
The move follows the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus on Tuesday filing a request with the Control Yuan to probe allegations of foreign funding to support Huang’s covert operations in contravention of the Political Donations Act (政治獻金法).
Speaking to reporters before a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said that national security agencies are investigating incidents of key government officials and politicians being tailed and photographed, and have enhanced protection at official residences and government buildings.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
Asked about reports that Huang had hired journalists to form “paparazzi groups,” Tsai said that public prosecutors and judiciary agencies have started criminal investigations into the incident and he could not comment on ongoing developments.
However, Tsai confirmed that the NSB investigation is focused on whether the alleged activities were funded from abroad in contravention of the National Security Act (國家安全法), as well as breaches of the Personal Data Protection Act (個資保護法) relating to offenses such as infringing on personal privacy, collecting personal data, and covertly tailing and photographing officials and politicians.
The NSB has issued notifications to security escorts and police officers who are in charge of the personal safety of key government officials to be on the alert against surveillance or stalking actions, and to report such incidents so law enforcement units can take immediate action, he said.
In response to media queries for comment, Huang said yesterday that the NSB should also thoroughly investigate where the over NT$ 800 million in overseas funds of the Mirror Media (精鏡傳媒) came from.
According to Huang, back in 2019 a group of Tainan lawmakers supporting President William Lai's (賴清德) bid as the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate for the 2020 presidential election were being surveillanced by Mirror Media.
By the DPP's definition, this is the real act of political surveillance, he said.
The shell company in question has a capital of just over US$14 million and yet could lend more than US$28 million to Taiwan's Mirror Media group, he said, stating "this overseas funding is clearly what’s truly problematic."
Separately, DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said the public is worried that China, which has boosted its capacity to produce uncrewed aerial vehicles, “could suddenly launch fleets of drones in a saturation attack against Taiwan.”
“We want people to know that what is most worrying now is we are already under attack by an enemy drone in the form of a legislator here in the legislature,” Shen said.
“Through the unlawful actions of Huang’s hackers and surveillance teams, he had stolen classified data and sensitive personal information. These are also materials that China wants... It is already known that the personal data of government officials and politicians had been hacked and put on sale on the dark Web. Then we see Huang taking these materials, asking questions to smear public officials during legislative sessions,” he said.
DPP Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川) accused Huang of continuing to cover up, evading questions by lawmakers and reporters about his funding sources.
“We just want Huang to clarify where his funds came from. Are they from foreign sources? We have asked him repeatedly, but he has either avoided or evaded the question. Does he have something to hide?” Wang asked.
DPP Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) said that statements from those involved in the operations, along with uncovered evidence, pointed to Huang as the mastermind behind the efforts to sabotage the government and undermine national security.
“We see Huang’s two main weapons that have been operating for years, covertly surveilling prominent politicians and taking so-called unsavory photos, and lately, evidence that he also has a group of hackers,” Lin said.
Through these groups, Huang has managed to infiltrate two state media — the Central News Agency and Radio Taiwan International, she added.
Additional reporting by Lin Che-yuan
This story has been amended since it was first published.
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