18-month jail sentence sought over surveillance of DPP's Shen

Taipei, Oct. 7 (CNA) Prosecutors on Wednesday sought an 18-month prison term for a man accused of taking NT$360,000 (US$11,299) from two Hong Kong residents to surveil Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) in 2024.

Taipei prosecutors sought the sentence for private investigator Cheng Yung-chin (鄭永津), who was charged with fellow investigator Hsieh Yi-chen (謝乙辰) and two others over the surveillance of Shen, the DPP's Taipei mayoral candidate in November's local elections.

Cheng, Hsieh, and Hsieh's employees Chiang Wen-hsin (江文鑫) and Hou Kai-han (侯凱瀚) were indicted on charges of illegally collecting and using personal data under the Personal Data Protection Act, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors allege that Cheng was tasked by Hong Kong residents Kuk Kok Yin (鞠覺賢) and Lam Hing (林慶) on Sept. 5, 2024, to surveil Shen. Cheng received HK$99,950.09 (NT$360,000) via bank transfer that day, according to the indictment.

Cheng then subcontracted the case to Hsieh for NT$180,000, and Hsieh assigned Chiang and Hou to conduct the surveillance, prosecutors said.

Hsieh's team initially struggled to surveil Shen because Shen had bodyguards around him, prompting them to propose parking a scooter with a miniature camera under its seat outside Shen's residence, which Cheng approved, according to prosecutors.

Using the camera, the suspects recorded Shen and his family's movements around the clock from Oct. 1 to Nov. 8, 2024, and sent the footage to Cheng via Telegram, who then forwarded it to Kuk, also via Telegram, prosecutors said.

During the period, Chiang and Hou at times stayed in a vehicle outside Shen's residence to monitor his movements and those of his wife and daughter, they added.

Meanwhile, Kuk and Lam entered Taiwan multiple times from September 2024 for the task. As they have since left Taiwan, prosecutors on Wednesday issued arrest warrants for them on the same charges under the Personal Data Protection Act.

The case was reported to Taipei's Da'an Precinct by Shen's bodyguards in late 2024, after they became suspicious of a scooter that had remained parked outside his residence for an extended period. It was referred to the prosecutors about a year ago.

Prosecutors said Cheng repeatedly downplayed his role during questioning and showed no remorse despite eventually admitting the offense, warranting a harsher sentence.

Hsieh, Chiang and Hou admitted to the offenses and expressed remorse, acknowledging that their actions had violated Shen's privacy. They also said they hoped to have an opportunity to apologize to Shen and seek his forgiveness, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors asked the court to impose appropriate sentences on the three.

Shen was inaugurated as a DPP legislator-at-large in January 2024. Before that, he was an associate professor of criminology and helped establish Kuma Academy, which focuses on strengthening Taiwan's civil defense against China.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office of State Council added Shen to its list of "die-hard Taiwan independence" separatists on Oct. 14, 2024, citing his role in Kuma Academy.