Taipei: Taiwan’s Supreme Court has confirmed prison sentences ranging from 10 to 18 months for three former officials of the Military Intelligence Bureau who were found guilty of operating a spy ring for China post-retirement. The convicted officers include retired Colonel Chang Chao-jan, retired Colonel Chou Tien-tzu, and former Major General Yueh Chih-chung.

According to Focus Taiwan, the convictions stem from the operations that began in 2008 when Chang introduced Chinese intelligence officials to Chou and recruited him. Yueh joined the operation after meetings with Chinese officials in 2012 and 2016. The Taipei District Court’s decision last year found them guilty of forming a spy ring in exchange for rewards from China.

The district court detailed how Chang and Chou attempted to recruit another individual in 2013, with further recruitment efforts by the three in 2017 proving unsuccessful. Consequently, Chang received an 18-month sentence, while Chou and Yueh were sentenced to 14 and 10 months, respectively, under the National Security Act.

Both the prosecutors and the convicted individuals had filed appeals. Prosecutors argued that the sentences were lenient given the breach of the National Intelligence Service Act. Meanwhile, the three officers claimed innocence, as highlighted in an April press release from the Taiwan High Court.

The second-instance court upheld the district court’s ruling, acknowledging only the disclosure of basic personal information by the three convicted officers. Unable to ascertain the specifics of the intelligence shared with Chinese officials, the court maintained the original sentences.

Following the second ruling, appeals were filed by the convicted individuals to the Supreme Court, though prosecutors did not pursue further action. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court concluded that there were no grounds for an additional appeal, withholding details about the nature of the intelligence exchanged and the compensation received by the officers.

The trials were conducted privately, with the district court’s judgment not accessible online. Chang, during the first trial, denied allegations of espionage, asserting his incrimination was based on interrogation records of Chou and another retired colonel, Wang Da-wang, who was acquitted.

With the Supreme Court’s final verdict, prosecutors have been instructed to prevent the convicted individuals from leaving Taiwan.