Former and Active Military Personnel Indicted for Leaking Secrets After Being Lured to Film Pro-Communist Videos; 10 Indicted by Ciaotou Prosecutors

Kaohsiung, April 14 (CNA) The Ciaotou District Prosecutors' Office today indicted 10 individuals, including active and retired military personnel, for violating the National Security Act and other charges. This is the first national security case to be tried under the National Judges Act. A man surnamed Chen allegedly provided bank accounts to an overseas group for bribery, and the group then recruited active and retired military personnel in need of money, demanding they film pro-communist videos and hand over classified information.

The Ciaotou District Prosecutors' Office stated this morning that in September 2024, a man surnamed Chen met members of an overseas hostile force group, nicknamed "Hanhan," online. After receiving a free trip to Macau and Zhuhai, he provided his personal online banking account and password to the group for a monthly fee of NT$3,000, to be used as a fund transfer tool for bribing Taiwanese military personnel.

The prosecutors found that the group subsequently contacted Taiwanese military personnel with financial needs through online social media, luring them with monetary rewards to film "pro-communist videos" and recruiting them to collect military secrets. The 9 military personnel surnamed Huang and others who were recruited included members from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard Administration, both active and retired, with the highest rank being at least a major.

The prosecutors investigated and found that group members instructed the military personnel involved to use their positions to photograph military operations, equipment data, and related classified military official documents and electromagnetic records with their mobile phones, and then transmit them to overseas group members via communication software such as LINE in exchange for compensation.

After the investigation, the prosecutors determined that Chen was involved in aiding and abetting the crime of delivering bribes for acts in violation of duties under the Anti-Corruption Act and providing financial accounts under the Money Laundering Control Act. The 9 military personnel surnamed Huang and others were involved in the crime of receiving bribes for acts in violation of duties under the Anti-Corruption Act, violating the National Security Act by transmitting classified electromagnetic records for the mainland China area, and leaking secrets under the Criminal Code. They were indicted according to law. As this case meets the applicable requirements of the National Judges Act, the entire case will be tried with the participation of national judges.

The prosecutors pointed out that considering that the 9 military personnel surnamed Huang and others are mostly active and retired military personnel who bear the heavy responsibility of national defense and security, yet for their own self-interest, they have long provided classified information to overseas hostile forces, severely endangering national security. The prosecutors requested the court to impose heavy sentences as a warning. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang) 1150414