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By Sam Garcia / Staff writer, with CNA
The High Court today sentenced six active and retired military personnel to four-and-a-half to eight-and-a-half years in prison for espionage and collecting sensitive military information for China.
The ruling can be appealed. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it would consider appealing after receiving the judgement.
The court ruled that Wang Wen-hao (王文豪), Tan Chun-ming (譚俊明), Lu Fang-chi (呂芳契), Chiu Han-lin (邱翰林) and Yang Chien-hui (楊千慧) had contravened Article 7, Paragraph 1 of the National Security Act (國家安全法) by developing an organization for China.
Photo: Chang Wen-chuan, Taipei Times
In addition, it ruled that Yang Po-chih (楊博智) contravened the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces (陸海空軍刑法) by leaking classified information.
The six defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from four years and six months to eight years and six months. Illegal gains ranging from NT$80,000 to NT$500,000 (US$2,531 to US$15,818) were confiscated.
The case was opened in 2024 when the Investigation Bureau’s Taipei branch suspected that Hong Kong national Ding Xiaohu (丁小琥) was developing organizations in Taiwan for China and collecting classified information.
The Political Warfare Bureau also found Yang Po-chih’s activities suspicious, gathered evidence and reported it to national security authorities, directing the High Prosecutors’ Office and Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office to investigate.
The investigation found that Ding was instructed by China’s Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission and entered Taiwan multiple times on business and tourist visas to develop an espionage network.
He first recruited retired military officers including Wang, Tan, Chang Chih-wei (張志煒) and Ho Sheng-ying (何聖影), and then used their connections to recruit active and retired personnel, including Lu, Chiu, Yang Chien-hui and Yang Po-chih, investigators said.
In addition to collecting classified information, Ding attempted to influence active-duty military personnel to adopt a passive, non-resistant stance in the event of cross-strait conflict, they said.
Ding and Chang arranged funding for these activities, instructing Chen Chun-an (陳俊安) to funnel more than NT$11.12 million to support the organization, they added.
The High Prosecutors’ Office in November last year indicted Ding and the six people sentenced today for contravening the National Security Act, transferring the case to the High Court for trial.
The court determined that the seven defendants were strongly suspected of contravening the National Security Act and that they were a flight risk, ruling that all seven be detained.
Ding was later granted medical parole due to illness and passed away in February, with the court later ruling not to continue the prosecution.
Yang Po-chih was deemed not to require continued detention, and was released on bail on April 1 and placed under electronic monitoring.
The other five remain in detention.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office in November last year indicted Ding, Wang and Chen for contravening the Banking Act (銀行法) and Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法).
The Taipei District Court ruled not to continue prosecuting Ding following his death, while continuing to prosecute the other two defendants.
