Appeal by retired military officers in China spying case rejected

Taipei, Jan. 24 (CNA) The convictions of retired military officers Lee Ching-hsien (李慶賢) and Yeh Jui-chang (葉瑞璋) have been finalized after their appeals were rejected by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court did not immediately explain its decision on the appeals.

Yeh and Tsui Yi-sheng (崔沂生) were each sentenced by the Kaohsiung branch of the Taiwan High Court in June 2022 to eight months in prison for violating the National Security Act, while Lee was given sentences of seven months, seven months and 14 months for multiple offenses.

Yeh and Lee appealed the verdict, and after the Supreme Court's rejection, Yeh's conviction and sentence are final while prosecutors still need to hold a hearing on combining the three sentences for Lee.

According to previous court findings, Tsui retired from the Taiwan Garrison Command (now the Armed Forces Reserve Command) as an intelligence officer in 1988.

Lee retired from the former Coast Guard Command as a commander in the Intelligence Division, while Yeh retired from the Coast Guard Administration as commander in the clerical division.

Tsui opened a business in China in 2004 and returned to Taiwan after closing it in 2013.

During his time in China, he was recruited by a state security organization in Shanghai and collected information for Chinese state security. He also introduced Lee to Chinese officials in 2007, the Supreme Court ruling said.

After being recruited, Lee engaged in activities that included developing networks, spying, and collecting confidential documents, the court found.

Tsui handed a four-page document titled "Coast Guard Intelligence Collection Items" and other confidential documents provided by Lee to Chinese officials in exchange for financial gains totaling 5,000 renminbi (NT$22,000).

Yeh was recruited by Lee in 2013. He returned to the Coast Guard Main Branch to collect secret documents from unsuspecting officers and transmitted them to China via Lee in exchange for NT$15,000.

Lee received a net total of nearly 14,000 renminbi for his efforts in the cases, according to the ruling.

Also on Wednesday, Hsin Peng-sheng (辛澎生), a former air defense artillery colonel chief of staff, was found guilty by the Kaohsiung branch of the Taiwan High Court of attempting to develop a network for China, in violation of the National Security Act.

Hsin was sentenced to six months in prison, which can be commuted to a fine. The case can be appealed.

(By Lin Chang-shun and Wu Kuan-hsien)

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