Army lieutenant colonel detained on suspicion of espionage for China
TAIPEI - The Taiwan High Court on Monday approved a motion filed by prosecutors to detain an Army lieutenant colonel and hold him incommunicado on suspicion of recruiting military officers to collect military intelligence for China.
The detention was authorised after prosecutors expressed concerns that Hsieh had established a spy network consisting of active and retired military personnel, with the purpose of passing classified information to the Chinese government through an intermediary.
Acting on a tip-off about the alleged espionage network, investigators from the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau, in collaboration with prosecutors, conducted a raid at the 601st Brigade of the Taoyuan-based Army Aviation and Special Forces Command.
"Subsequently, Hsieh and the suspected middleman were summoned for questioning,” Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported.
The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office requested the High Court to detain both suspects on charges of treason, a request that was granted by the court. Meanwhile, four retired military personnel who were also thought to be involved in the network were questioned and subsequently released on bail.
As of now, the investigation is still ongoing, and authorities have refrained from providing additional details related to the case. The offense of treason, specifically passing confidential information to China by active duty military personnel, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) released a statement on Tuesday, asserting that they were the first to suspect Hsieh of possible espionage activities for China. After conducting an internal investigation, the MND handed over relevant evidence to the prosecutors, contributing to the ongoing investigation.
The MND has not disclosed further details concerning the nature of the collected information or the extent of the potential breach. The case continues to draw significant attention, given its implications on national security. - BERNAMA
