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Leaked intelligence files pose little risk: Defense Ministry

ROC Central News Agency

2010/11/02 17:24:21

Taipei, Nov. 2 (CNA) The Defense Ministry said Tuesday that relevant damage control measures had been initiated following the leaking of intelligence files to China by a senior Taiwanese military officer, adding that the leak will have limited influence on the operations of the Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB).

Lo Chi-cheng, a senior officer working for the MIB, is suspected of forwarding classified information and data to unauthorized persons in violation of national laws, after being recruited as a double agent by Taiwanese businessman Lo Pin (no relation).

Lo Chi-cheng was taken into custody Monday on charges of leaking confidential intelligence to China. Reports say Lo had accumulated more than NT$3 million (US$100,000) since he began working as a Chinese spy in 2007.

The ministry had been monitoring Lo's actions for quite some time and had laid the groundwork to collect evidence and witnesses, ministry spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue said in response to questions from the press.

Due to the confidentiality of the leaked data, Yu said he could not give details on the quantity of confidential files being made public or when the ministry started monitoring Lo.

He stressed that the defense ministry has taken additional steps to protect the classified information and safeguard the lives of Taiwanese intelligence workers possibly endangered by the leaks.

Taiwan and China are still engaged in a "war without gunfire" despite warming ties between the two sides, Premier Wu Den-yih said Tuesday at the Legislative Yuan. National security must be protected in light of such threats to information and intelligence data, he added.

Wu said the government will do its best to bring home intelligence workers who have been exposed to danger because of the leaks, but he said he could not be sure this task will be completely successful, since Lo had been working for China for four years, which means that a large number of Taiwanese agents could have been compromised. (By Emmanuelle Tzeng, Justin Su, and Hermia Lin) ENDITEM/MH