Ex-aide sentenced to 10 years for developing Chinese spy ring

Huang Chiu-jung, a former special assistant to ex-New Taipei City councilor Lee Yu-tien, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for developing an espionage organization for China. The court also ordered the confiscation of his illicit gains totaling NT$4.107 million.

Prosecutors accused Huang of being recruited by Chinese intelligence personnel while doing business and studying at Jinan University in China in 2003. Upon returning to Taiwan, he allegedly began developing an espionage network. He is accused of recruiting former DPP party worker Chiu Shih-yuan and former Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Ho Jen-chieh, who served as an assistant to former Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu.

Huang allegedly used a disguised transmission software, presented as a "Go" chess app, to send classified information to Chinese intelligence. This information reportedly included the Vice President's travel itineraries, diplomatic responses to the severance of ties by allies, and details of Taiwan-U.S. trade initiatives.

The prosecution found that the Chinese Communist Party paid Huang and Chiu hundreds of thousands of New Taiwan Dollars quarterly, remitted to Taiwan through underground banking channels. Huang allegedly received approximately NT$6.07 million, while Chiu received about NT$2.21 million. Wu Shang-yu and Ho Jen-chieh were not found to have received any illicit income.

In a previous ruling, the Taipei District Court had sentenced Huang to 10 years imprisonment for violating national security laws. Ho Jen-chieh received 8 years and 2 months, Chiu Shih-yuan 6 years and 2 months, and Wu Shang-yu 4 years. Huang was also fined NT$1 million, with illicit gains of NT$4.97 million to be confiscated or pursued. However, on appeal, the High Court reduced Huang's sentence to 6 years on June 25. In a separate but related case, the High Court on July 9 sentenced Huang to 10 years for developing an organization for China, with the illegal gains of NT$4.107 million to be confiscated. The verdict is appealable.

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The court found that Huang Chiu-jung's development organization involved a total of two individuals, one of whom was an attempted case and the other a completed case, which differs from the prosecution's indictment. Therefore, a suitable reduction in sentence was given.