Ex Taiwan Soldier Sentenced To Two Years In Prison After Spying For China
Beijing claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control.
The two sides have been spying on each other for decades, but experts say the threat to Taiwan is greater given the risk of a Chinese invasion.
The defendant, identified by his family name Chen, was convicted of violating the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces for passing the documents for a payment of NT$80,000 ($2,700), the court said in a statement.
It did not identify Chen's rank or what kind of information was leaked.
In February 2023, Chen obtained electronic files of military secret-level documents from a classmate under the pretext of "preparing for supervision by his superiors", printed them out and took them out of the camp.
Chen then used his smartphone to photograph the files and sent them to a man he met on the messaging app Line in 2022 when he applied for a loan, the court said.
"He handed over our country's military secrets in exchange for money, which seriously damaged national security," it added.
The court added that Chen received a lenient sentence because he confessed and showed remorse during the investigation and trial.
Local newspaper Liberty Times reported that Chen was a former Marines sergeant addicted to online gaming and owed huge debts.
He can appeal the ruling.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Soldier's death by fellow soldier qualifies as ‘battle casualty', rules Punjab and Haryana High Court
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has upheld an Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) order granting liberalised family pension to Rukmani Devi, the mother of a soldier who died over three decades ago during Operation Rakshak in Jammu and Kashmir. The court dismissed a writ petition by the Union of India challenging the AFT's February 22, 2022, ruling, holding that the soldier's death from friendly fire during an operational deployment qualifies as a 'battle casualty' under the Ministry of Defence's guidelines. Delivering the order on July 16, a division bench of Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal and Justice Deepak Manchanda said: 'It is manifest that a soldier deployed in a military operation, being shot by a fellow soldier, cannot be in any manner denied the benefits, which would be applicable to those soldiers who are killed in action.' The case arose from the death of Rukmani Devi's son, an Indian Army jawan, who was on duty with Operation Rakshak in Jammu and Kashmir when he suffered a fatal gunshot injury on October 21, 1991, fired by another soldier. Army Air Defence Records, through Part-II Order No. 01/BC/05/002 dated August 27, 1992, had categorised his death as a 'battle casualty.' However, the claim for liberalised family pension remained unresolved for decades. In 2018, Rukmani Devi approached the AFT seeking relief. The tribunal directed the government to consider her claim, relying on its own 2017 decision in the case of Harvinder Kaur vs Union of India, where a similar claim was allowed for a widow whose husband had died during Operation Parakram. The Union government appealed, arguing that the cases were not comparable, as Harvinder Kaur's husband had died while the operation was ongoing, whereas Devi's son was killed in 1991. The Centre also objected to the long delay of over 25 years in approaching the tribunal. However, the High Court rejected both arguments. Citing instructions issued by the Ministry of Defence in January 2001, the bench said the benefit of liberalised family pension extends to all armed forces personnel deployed in notified military operations, including those killed by 'acts of violence/attack by extremists, anti-social elements etc' or in other war-like situations. The court reproduced the government's pension categories, noting that the soldier's death fell squarely within Category E of Paragraph 4.1, which covers operational casualties. On the issue of delay, the bench relied on the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in M.L. Patil vs State of Goa, which held that pension entitlements constitute a 'continuous cause of action.' 'There is no justification at all for denying the arrears of pension…,' the Supreme Court had ruled, and the High Court applied the principle to Devi's case. The bench pointed out that the AFT's 2017 ruling in Harvinder Kaur's case has attained finality, strengthening the claim of similarly placed families. The High Court concluded: 'We do not find any illegality in the impugned order passed by the Tribunal. The petition stands dismissed accordingly.' With the dismissal of the Union government's petition, the AFT's order stands, ensuring that Rukmani Devi receives the liberalised family pension due to her for her son's death in service.
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Calling spouse dark not abetment: Court frees man 30 years after wife's suicide
Nearly three decades after being convicted for abetting his wife's suicide, a man has been acquitted by the Bombay High Court, which ruled that domestic quarrels, including remarks about complexion and threats of a second marriage, do not constitute criminal harassment under the judgment was delivered by Justice S M Modak, who was hearing an appeal filed in 1998 by a then 23-year-old shepherd from Satara district. advertisementThe man had been sentenced to five years in prison by a Sessions Court in Satara for offences under Sections 498A (cruelty to a married woman) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code. The case dated back to January 1995, when the man's wife died by suicide after jumping into a well. Prior to her death, she had reportedly told her parents that she was being harassed by her husband and to the prosecution, the husband had taunted the woman over her dark complexion, said he did not like her, and threatened to marry another woman, while her father-in-law criticised her cooking and expressed dissatisfaction with the food she the High Court found that these incidents amounted to domestic discord, not criminal conduct."They can be said to be quarrels arising out of matrimonial life. They are domestic quarrels. It cannot be said to be of such a high degree so as to compel the woman to commit suicide. So, an offence under Section 498 A of the Indian Penal Code is not made out," said the Court said that while there was evidence of tension and disagreements within the household, they did not meet the legal threshold required to prove cruelty or abetment of suicide.'The legislature contemplates that every dispute, quarrel or altercation arising from matrimonial life are not criminal offences. It will take colour of criminal law only when there are no alternatives for the wife but to put an end to her life because of the harassment," the bench bench further said, 'There was harassment, but it was not of that kind of harassment due to which criminal law can be set in motion.'Noting that the prosecution had failed to establish a direct link between the alleged harassment and the woman's act of suicide, the court held that the trial court had overlooked fundamental legal principles. 'The Judge has forgotten the basic principles and ingredients of the Sections,' the High Court said, setting aside the conviction and ordering the appellant's release.- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Who is Heston James? TikTok influencer arrested for viral pranks disrupting businesses
Police have arrested Heston Cobb, an Arizona based influencer, for disrupting local businesses through a series of pranks. Heston Cobb was arrested at his home on July 23.(X/@MAGAgeddon) Authorities said businesses in Tempe, Arizona, reported numerous instances of groups of men who entered their stores dressed as employees and then refused to leave when asked. Probing these incidents, cops found them linked to viral prank videos uploaded to social media by Cobb, who enjoys a 1.6 million-strong following on TikTok, People reported. Who is Heston Cobb? Heston Cobb or Heston James, as he's known to his followers, is a TikTok influencer. He was arrested at his home on July 23. Cobb was booked on one count of burglary, two counts of criminal impersonation, five counts of disorderly conduct and five counts of criminal trespass. Also Read | TikTok will go dark in US without Chinese approval of sale deal, says Howard Lutnick If Cobb gets the maximum punishment under Arizona law, he could be looking at up to nine years in jail and a fine of $315,000. What viral prank was Heston Cobb playing? Cobb, in a series of videos, from March to May, could be seen shrieking in various stores, then pretending not to know where the screams came from, when approached by staff. On July 4, he posted a TikTok video, where he claims to be an employee of a car mechanic shop. He says he's 'from corporate' and has gotten 'multiple complaints'. Then, a van full of men in jumpsuits enter the place of business and begin operating on cars there. 'These videos are definitely not pranks. They are crossing the line from something that's fun and playful into criminal territory. They're breaking laws,' Tempe Police Officer Jessica Ells said to AZFamily, adding, 'They are going into these businesses and impersonating the employees. That actually is a felony charge.' Pep Boys, Hyland Auto Repair, Big Brand Tire & Service, Jiffy Lube and Chipotle were among businesses impacted by Cobb's pranks. 'Hopefully this will put pressure on Instagram, YouTube, and all of the other platforms to really look at what people are posting,' Hyland Auto owner told the publication.
