Ex-DPP staffer receives 10 years for developing spy network for China

Taipei, July 9 (CNA) The Taiwan High Court on Thursday sentenced Huang Chu-jung (黃取榮), a former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) staffer, to 10 years in prison for developing an organization on behalf of China after recruiting two people to help gather classified information.

The court found Huang guilty based on conclusive evidence, though it ruled that one of the recruitment attempts was unsuccessful. The ruling can be appealed.

According to prosecutors, Huang, who previously conducted business in China, was recruited by Chinese intelligence agents. After returning to Taiwan, he recruited then-DPP staffer Chiu Shih-yuan (邱世元) in 2017 and attempted to recruit Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑), a former adviser to then-Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), in 2022.

Prosecutors said Huang and Chiu received payments for approaching Ho and Wu Shang-yu (吳尚雨), who served as an adviser in the Office of the Vice President when current President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) was vice president, to solicit and collect classified information, including confidential details of vice presidential visits to Taiwan's diplomatic allies.

When announcing the indictment last year, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office said Huang's recruitment of Chiu and attempted recruitment of Ho constituted the offense of developing an organization for a foreign hostile force under the National Security Act.

Prosecutors sought a prison sentence of more than 12 years and requested the confiscation of approximately NT$6.08 million (US$189,288) they said Huang received from Chinese intelligence agents as criminal proceeds, in accordance with the Criminal Code and the Money Laundering Control Act.

Separately, Huang was also indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office on charges of leaking and delivering classified state secrets to China in violation of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act, as well as money laundering.

In that case, Huang was initially sentenced to 10 years in prison by the district court, but the Taiwan High Court reduced the sentence to six years in June following an appeal.