Taipei [Taiwan], October 14 (ANI): The Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office has charged a Taiwanese naval officer with corruption after he allegedly sold sensitive operational manuals of Taiwan’s homegrown Hsiung Feng II (HF-2) anti-ship missiles to a Chinese intelligence agent, according to Central News Agency (CNA).
The indictment, made public on October 7, revealed that charges were formally filed on September 25 against the officer, identified by the surname Tsai, a member of the Navy’s Hai Feng Brigade—the service’s land-based anti-ship missile unit—for breaching the Anti-Corruption Act.
A former Hai Feng Brigade officer, surnamed Lin, who was dishonourably discharged, was also indicted for violating the National Security Act for bribing Tsai in exchange for military information. Lin reportedly began communicating in 2023 with a Chinese woman, believed to be an intelligence officer from the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force, via social media. Despite knowing her true identity, Lin connected Tsai to the woman, known by the alias Chu Ting.
Following their introduction, Chu Ting promised financial compensation to Tsai based on the value of the military information he provided. In May 2023, Tsai submitted a personal information sheet and questionnaire through Lin in exchange for a bribe of approximately USD 260 (NTD 8,000). He also photographed the Field Deployment and Operations Manual for the HF-2 missile launcher and the missile vehicle operation manual, sending them to Chu Ting. Prosecutors noted that Chu Ting provided an additional NTD 30,000 after assessing the intelligence value of the materials.
The indictment highlighted that Tsai’s actions violated the Constitution, the National Defence Act, and the Military Service Act, which mandate loyalty to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and uphold military confidentiality. Prosecutors emphasized that Tsai, trained and assigned to operate Taiwan’s domestically manufactured missiles to protect national waters, unlawfully shared classified military details and accepted bribes, undermining national security.
The case underscores concerns over internal security within Taiwan’s military, particularly in highly sensitive units like the Hai Feng Brigade. (ANI)
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