The High Court on Wednesday handed a coast guard corporal surnamed Wu (吳) a reduced sentence, after a Kaohsiung court last year found her guilty of espionage and selling classified materials about the nation’s shoreline defense to a Chinese national in exchange for cryptocurrency.
Wu had received a six-year-and-two-month sentence from the Kaohsiung Ciaotou District Court on two counts of bribery-related charges. Prosecutors filed an appeal, saying the prison term was too lenient.
Wu also appealed, saying her punishment was too severe.
Photo: Pao Chien-hsin, Taipei Times
The High Court’s Kaohsiung branch in the second ruling upheld the conviction, but reduced her sentence to five years and 11 months. She was also deprived of her civil rights for three years, which could still be appealed.
Prosecutors said Wu was approached by a Chinese surnamed Wang (王), who found out she worked in the Coast Guard Administration (CGA). Wang asked her to obtain classified materials in exchange for cryptocurrency worth more than NT$70,000 (US$2,122).
Evidence showed that in late 2023, Wu took photos of classified documents stored in a computer at her CGA office, including drill records, reports on shoreline defense and information on southern radar stations.
Wu agreed to gather more national secret materials for Wang, such as critical infrastructure and defense plans on outlying islands, and was paid NT$500,000, prosecutors said, adding that she also handed classified information on coast guard and coastal fleets, radar deployment and personnel stationed at the Pratas Islands, (Dongsha Islands, 東沙島).
Wu asked fellow CGA personnel for the materials through Line, but was rebuffed, prosecutors said.
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