CTi News reporter, 5 military personnel detained over alleged leaks to China

Kaohsiung, Jan. 17 (CNA) A CTi TV reporter and five active-duty and retired service members were detained incommunicado on Saturday for their alleged involvement in a scheme where the journalist bribed military personnel to leak information to "Chinese individuals," according to Ciaotou prosecutors.

Taiwan Ciaotou District Court granted the request by prosecutors to hold Lin Chen-you (林宸佑) and five active-duty and retired military personnel in detention without visitation after a hearing, the local prosecutors' office said in a press release.

On Friday, Ciaotou prosecutors conducted a search of Lin's rented residence in Taipei and brought him to Kaohsiung for questioning, while the residences of nine active-duty and retired service members were also searched that day, the office said.

After questioning the suspects, prosecutor Chou Wei-chih (周韋志) claimed that Lin paid active-duty service members amounts ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands of New Taiwan dollars in exchange for leaking "military-related information" to "Chinese individuals," according to the office.

The suspects are believed to have violated the National Security Act and the Anti-Corruption Act, according to the prosecutors' office.

Lin covered political beats, primarily the Legislature, for CTi News and also hosts a political program on the outlet's YouTube channel.

In a statement, CTi TV called for a fair and just judicial process and denied reports the company was searched by prosecutors on Friday.

"We seek a fair trial and justice for all. God bless Taiwan. Reports that CTi was searched are untrue. We urge all parties to stop circulating false information," the statement said.

CTi News lost its cable television license in 2020 after Taiwan's communications regulator declined to renew it, citing repeated violations.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Saturday that the case was handed over to Ciaotou prosecutors following an investigation initiated by the National Security Bureau (NSB), in coordination with the ministry and the Investigation Bureau, which pursued leads and uncovered evidence involving active-duty military personnel and others.