Father and son found guilty of spying for China

Tainan, April 23 (CNA) A man and his son who used to do business in China were each sentenced by a Tainan court Tuesday to eight years in prison for undertaking espionage activities on behalf of Chinese intelligence.

In its ruling, the Taiwan High Court's Tainan branch said the two men, surnamed Huang (黃), were found guilty of developing a spy network that recruited serving military personnel tasked with collecting intelligence for China.

According to the Tainan branch court, both men pleaded guilty to their crimes during the trial.

Based on the indictment, the father and son used to run a business in Xiamen in 2015 and were introduced to a Chinese intelligence official who asked them to help develop a spy network in Taiwan that recruited active-duty military personnel to collect military secrets.

Both men were promised monetary rewards for their efforts, the indictment read.

The Huangs subsequently recruited two Air Force officers surnamed Yeh (葉) and Su (蘇), and arranged for them to meet with Chinese intelligence officials abroad after first signing a letter of loyalty to China.

The location of the meeting was not disclosed in the prosecutorial indictment.

The four men obtained eight sensitive documents related to Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military exercises which they took to China in person or transmitted to Chinese officials using mobile messaging apps.

Prosecutors said the father and son were paid a total of NT$1.71 million (US$52,458) by Chinese authorities, while Yeh and Su received NT$210,000 and NT$100,000, respectively.

On Tuesday, the Tainan branch court also sentenced the two officers to seven and six years in prison after they were found guilty of accepting bribes as public officials and deprived of their civil rights for five years.

The case can still be appealed.