Chang Chun-chieh, the fugitive former office director of independent Taiwan legislator Kao Chin Su-mei, is suspected in a Chinese espionage case, and Kao's current office director and an aide have been detained incommunicado. The High Prosecutors Office said on Sept. 10 that Chang is also suspected of violating the National Security Act by taking Chinese funds to develop an organisation in Taiwan, PTS reported. Investigators had pursued the national-security trail on Chang, whom the Liberty Times called Kao's "chief bookkeeper," for more than a decade.
Who else has been detained? Kao's current office director, surnamed Chen, and an aide surnamed Lin were summoned at the same time and, after questioning at the High Court, were ordered detained incommunicado as accomplices, PTS reported. Taipei prosecutors directing the police manhunt also found that a man surnamed Chou had allegedly supplied a vehicle during Chang's flight on others' instructions. Chou was taken into custody on Sept. 10 and transferred to Taipei prosecutors for further questioning.
What was Chang already facing? Chang, a key defendant in the assistant-fee fraud case in which Kao is implicated, was indicted by Taipei prosecutors in June on suspicion of fraudulently claiming assistants' fees and illegally importing rapid test kits, with prosecutors seeking a 16-year sentence. After he jumped bail, his NT$10 million bond was ordered forfeited and he was placed on the wanted list, PTS reported. Whether Kao herself knew of or was involved in the alleged espionage remains to be clarified.
How did he flee? Chang broke his electronic monitoring bracelet and fled on Sept. 6, the Liberty Times reported. It emerged on Sept. 9 that he had eaten with Chen Chun-wei, an aide in Kao's office, that day and was suspected of leaving items in Chen's keeping. The Legislative Yuan said on Sept. 9 that prosecutors had notified it as required by law before searching Kao's office again. Chang Yu-meng, quoted in a Liberty Times headline, said the "blue and white" camps of the Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party should stop calling it a political prosecution.
