4 former DPP members sentenced to prison for spying for China

Taipei, Sept. 25 (CNA) The Taipei District Court on Thursday sentenced four former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members to prison for spying for China.

Huang Chu-jung (黃取榮) received a 10-year sentence, Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑) eight years and two months, Chiu Shih-yuan (邱世元) six years and two months, and Wu Shang-yu (吳尚雨) four years, for violating the Classified National Security Information Protection Act, according to the court.

Huang and Chiu, who were also found guilty of money laundering, were fined NT$1 million (US$32,872) and NT$50,000, respectively, commutable to community service.

All four remain incommunicado.

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Huang, a former assistant to DPP New Taipei Councilor Lee Yu-tien (李余典), obtained classified information from Ho, who previously served as an assistant to National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) when he was foreign minister, and sent the information to Chinese intelligence via encrypted software, the court said.

He also instructed Chiu, the former deputy head of the DPP's Taiwan Institute of Democracy, to seek information from Wu, a former Presidential Office advisor.

Huang and Chiu obtained a total of about NT$6.08 million and NT$2.22 million, respectively, in illegal gains, which were transferred to Taiwan through Taiwanese businesspeople who frequently traveled across the Taiwan Strait, the court said.

The court noted that the four were party members and public servants and should have been aware of their duty of loyalty to the nation. Instead, their disclosure of important foreign affairs information worsened Taiwan's difficult diplomatic situation and abetted China's hostile behavior toward the country.

Chiu and Wu admitted their crimes, with Chiu surrendering all illicit gains, while Huang and Ho denied wrongdoing, according to the court.

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office indicted the four in June, seeking sentences of 18 years and six months for Huang, more than nine years for Ho, more than eight years for Chiu and more than five years for Wu. They said they will decide whether to appeal the ruling after receiving the verdict.

Separately, in June, Huang was charged by the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office with "developing a criminal organization" for China. The case is being tried in the High Court because of its implications for national security.

The four were expelled from the DPP in May.