No-party legislator Kao Chin Su-mei was restricted from leaving the country on November 2 after being questioned by the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office regarding a national security case involving her former office manager, Chang Chun-chieh.
Prosecutors Investigate Office Ties to Chinese Authorities
The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office, working with the Investigation Bureau’s National Security Station, summoned Kao Chin Su-mei as a defendant to clarify her office’s activities. The investigation focuses on whether Chang Chun-chieh, who served as her office manager, was recruited by Chinese authorities as early as 2008. Prosecutors allege that Chang used the Indigenous Multi-Ethnic Cultural Exchange Association and other groups to receive funds from the Taiwan Affairs Office, potentially influencing legislative policies, including those related to U.S. arms sales like the M136 Volcano mine-laying system. Investigators believe Chang received tens of millions of New Taiwan dollars, with some estimates approaching a hundred million, though the exact figures and the existence of illegal quid pro quo arrangements remain under investigation.
Kao Chin Su-mei denied the allegations, characterizing the investigation as a political frame-up. She argued that her past interactions with mainland China occurred during a period of widespread cross-strait exchange. Her legal defense team for the November 2 appearance included attorney Cheng Yu-jen.
I feel ridiculous and puzzled, and I also feel a bit creepy,
Kao Chin Su-mei said after the questioning. I hope Taiwan will not return to the era of martial law and dictatorship.
She further told authorities, You can crush one rose, two roses, or even hundreds of roses, but you cannot stop the spring from blooming.
Fugitive Escapes Taiwan by Sea After Fleeing Custody
Chang Chun-chieh, a key figure in the case, has been a fugitive for 58 days. He was initially detained following an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of legislative assistant fees, where prosecutors sought a 16-year prison sentence.
On September 6, Chang damaged his electronic tracking device in Taipei’s Daan Forest Park and fled. Investigation teams believe Chang successfully fled Taiwan by sea. Surveillance footage reportedly shows him traveling from Tainan to New Taipei City’s Gongliao District, where he boarded a fishing vessel at the Zhengbin Fishing Harbor in Keelung on the night of October 28. Investigators noted that while military coastal defense personnel performed a check on the vessel before it departed, they failed to detect Chang hidden on board. The Taipei District Court has since forfeited his bail and issued a warrant for his arrest, valid until 2059. Authorities have captured over 20 alleged accomplices who assisted in his concealment.
Detention of Legislative Aides
Before Kao Chin Su-mei was summoned, prosecutors apprehended other members of her staff. Office director Chen Chih-huang and assistant Lin Yi-chun were detained in September on suspicion of violating the National Security Act. Both remain in custody, with prosecutors alleging they participated in activities organized by the mainland’s United Front Work Department, including training programs in Hong Kong and China. While the aides have reportedly admitted to attending these sessions, they have denied acting as intelligence agents. Lin Yi-chun specifically denied allegations that she assisted Chang in gathering lists of tribal elders and pro-independence religious figures.
Cross-Strait Exchanges in 2008
In her defense, Kao Chin Su-mei cited the period following the 2008 inauguration of former President Ma Ying-jeou, noting that official and civilian exchanges between Taiwan and China were common. Kao Chin Su-mei emphasized her own humanitarian work, including the fostering of 20 children following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, as evidence of legitimate cultural interaction rather than intelligence gathering.