Kao Chin Su-mei compares espionage probe of her staff to martial law era
A Taiwanese lawmaker is pushing back after prosecutors jailed two of her aides in a Chinese spy case, in a fight that puts Taiwan's national security enforcement under a political spotlight.
- Independent legislator Kao Chin Su-mei said the arrests of her office director and a former assistant reminded her of Taiwan's martial law years, when "communist spy" charges were used against political opponents.
- The two aides were detained and barred from visitors on suspicion of breaking national security law.
- The case grew out of her longtime money manager, Chang Chun-chieh, who cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet and fled while out on bail.
- Investigators believe Chang took Chinese money and built a network inside Taiwan for as long as a decade.
- Kao Chin, who said she has been recovering quietly from throat surgery, urged people to stop speculating and let the evidence speak.
Outlook: The investigation continues, and the standoff between Kao Chin and prosecutors is likely to sharpen as more details of the alleged network emerge.