Foreign Ministry sues KMT Legislator for allegedly exposing confidential information

Radio Taiwan: Taiwan: Wednesday, 15 May 2024.

Foreign Ministry Department of Treaty and

Legal Affairs Deputy Head Roy Hsu (許柏逸)

said the legislator had violated Section One

of Article 132 of the Criminal Code. (Photo: CNA)

The Foreign Ministry has sued KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) alleging that Hsu exposed national confidential information. The Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office listed Hsu as the defendant and assigned the case to a prosecution team for further investigation.
Taiwan and the Czech Republic signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the end of last year to cooperate in the reconstruction of Ukraine. The Czech Health Technology Institute was designated to implement the US$10 million aid project.
Hsu has vocalized her opinions on the MOU, questioning why the aid would need to be transferred through a third party. She says that as an opposition lawmaker, it is her duty to analyze government spending and ensure public funds are not being misused. As part of her public statement, she displayed a confidential document sent to the Legislature for review with sticky notes covering some of the information.
Last Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Department of Treaty and Legal Affairs Deputy Head Roy Hsu (許柏逸) said the legislator had violated Section One of Article 132 of the Criminal Code which stipulates potential prison time for public officials who disclose confidential documents relating to matters other than national security.
When being questioned about the matter at the Legislature last Wednesday, Hsu Chiao-hsin displayed an article written by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, claiming that the same information had already been revealed. Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry says the aforementioned article included some key points about the cooperation to demonstrate the good intentions of both parties, but that the details of the MOU were not released to the public, therefore it should not be used to justify the leaking of classified information.
The Foreign Ministry further elaborated, stating that the Czech Health Technology Institute is not a private company, and the ministry had given flexibility to the Czech Republic for planning and procurement to better meet the ever-changing medical and supply needs of the war-torn region. They say that aid implementation is subject to the review and supervision of both nations and that Hsu’s claims are both baseless and false.