Nine active-duty and former service members and an alleged accomplice have been indicted on espionage charges for leaking information to China, the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday.
As the offenses fall within the confines of the Citizen Judges Act (國民法官法), the trial is to be the first national security case in Taiwan with the participation of citizen judges.
The prosecutors’ office said in statement that the nine service members are or were officers across the army, navy, air force and coast guard with ranks as high as major.
Photo: CNA
The case is centered on a Taiwanese man surnamed Chen (陳) who was recruited by Chinese intelligence, prosecutors said.
Chen is suspected of being co-opted by an “agent” over social media in September 2024, and accepted a paid vacation in China.
The agent later started paying Chen NT$3,000 on a monthly basis to open a private bank account for bribes and loans for military officers in need of money, prosecutors said.
Those who borrowed money from Chen were later pressured to make videos “switching allegiance” to China, prosecutors said.
The accused military personnel recorded and sent smartphone videos of operations as well as photographs of sensitive documents, some of it related to classified material, in exchange for money, prosecutors said.
Those involved were charged with contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法), the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) and the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法).
Prosecutors said they would seek the harshest punishment for nine active-duty and former officers for endangering national security for personal gain.
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