Intelligence

Government denies involvement of VP's sister in espionage case

ROC Central News Agency

2010/12/15 15:01:16

By Garfie Li, Emmanuelle Tzeng and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) The Presidential Office rejected Wednesday a media report suggesting that a sister of Vice President Vincent Siew might be involved in an espionage scandal that broke last month.

According to office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang, the vice president's sister, Hsiao Ya-wen, is a retired elementary school teacher who leads a simple life.

However, Siew will advise his relatives to pay attention to their behavior and avoid situations that could spark controversy, Lo said.

According to the latest edition of Next magazine issued that day, Lo Chi-cheng, a military intelligence officer who was detained last month for allegedly acting as a double agent for China, told prosecutors that he knew Hsiao Ya-wen and had had work-related contact with her.

Ministry of National Defense spokesman Yu Sy-tue dismissed the report as unfactual.

Although Lo Chi-cheng and Hsiao Ya-wen do indeed know each other, they did not have any work-related contact, according to Yu.

He said his ministry is considering taking legal action against the tabloid for publishing the report.

Meanwhile, Hsiao Ya-wen issued a written statement saying that she only met Lo several times on social occasions. Hsiao said she was unclear about the details of the scandal in which Lo is implicated and that she was not involved in the case.

Hsiao also indicated that she plans to seek legal means to protect her reputation.