Taiwan foreign ministry files legal action against KMT lawmaker after leak | Taiwan News

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has filed a legal complaint against a Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker who publicly revealed confidential details of an MOU signed with the Czech Republic.

MOFA filed the complaint against the KMT’s Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) on Tuesday (May 7), alleging that she leaked information that may threaten national security. MOFA spokesperson Jeff Liu (劉永健) said at a press conference on Tuesday morning the filing was made at the Taiwan District Prosecutors Office.

The documents revealed by Hsu relate to an MOU signed between Taiwan and the Czech Republic in December, which aimed to send aid from Taiwan to Ukraine via a Czech NGO. Hsu questioned if the foreign ministry could adequately monitor the funds, and suggested the arrangement could be used to favor certain businesses for political favors.

Hsu made the confidential documents public in a Facebook post on Sunday (May 5), after the foreign ministry sent them to all legislators for review. The Taiwan Statebuilding Party also filed legal action against Hsu on Monday (May 6), accusing her of leaking information that may harm national security.

According to Hsu’s Facebook post, she revealed the content of the documents after a legislative hearing during which she felt Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) failed to adequately respond to her concerns about the MOU. Under the MOU, 30-40% of the NT$323.6 million (US$10 million) aid donation would be used to purchase medical supplies from Taiwanese companies.

Hsu questioned whether certain companies would be awarded these contracts based on political favoritism. She also claimed that MOFA sought to “indirectly intervene” in Czech politics via the Czech Health Technology Institute (CHTI), through which Taiwan’s aid would be sent to Ukraine.

According to the organisation’s website, the CTHI pursues foreign development projects in collaboration with the Czech foreign, defence, and economic ministries, and other government agencies. CHTI Chair Petr Foit was part of a Czech delegation that visited Taiwan in March, during which delegation head Tomas Kopecny said that efforts to work with Taiwan in the reconstruction of Ukraine enjoyed broad support across his country’s multi-party parliament.

Before filing the lawsuit on Monday, MOFA spokesperson Liu said it was “total nonsense” to suggest the agreement was secret, as details of the MOU were distributed to all legislators. Liu said that portions of the MOU were kept confidential to prevent obstruction from outside actors.

Following the accusations of criminal wrongdoing, Hsu doubled down and said she had a clear conscience, per CNA. She said she would continue to reveal what she believed were deliberately concealed government secrets, and launched further attacks against Foreign Minister Wu, highlighting the loss of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies during his time in the role, per UDN.