Taipei: The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office announced Wednesday that a former Taiwanese general and five other individuals have been indicted for allegedly accepting funds from the Chinese Communist Party to assist in overthrowing Taiwan's government. Retired Army Major General Kao An-kuo is accused of forming a pro-unification group, the "Republic of China Taiwan Military Government," intended to act as armed collaborators in the event of an invasion by China.
According to Focus Taiwan, the group reportedly received funds amounting to approximately NT$9.62 million (US$293,900) from China. These funds were allegedly intended to establish armed units and operational bases in Taiwan to facilitate the overthrow of the government. Kao, alongside his girlfriend Liu, two retired soldiers named Chang and Chiu, and two other men named Chen and Hou, were indicted for violating Articles 2 and 7 of Taiwan's National Security Act. The prosecutors have been authorized to detain the six suspects incommunicado.
The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) first learned of Kao's activities in 2020. Following this, a national security team was formed, comprising personnel from the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, the MJIB, the Criminal Investigation Bureau, and the Ministry of National Defense, to investigate the group. Investigators conducted two waves of searches in November 2024, raiding 26 locations and questioning 47 individuals.
According to the prosecutor's news release, Hou is suspected of directing Chang, Chen, and Chiu to recruit active military personnel and gather intelligence on Taiwan's military infrastructure and deployments. Between 2017 and 2024, the suspects reportedly traveled to China on multiple occasions, receiving instructions and funding from Chinese Communist Party military intelligence personnel. Hou and Chen are also accused of using drones to simulate the tracking of military radar vehicles in September 2024 and reporting their findings to Chinese authorities.
The High Prosecutors Office emphasized that Kao An-kuo, a high-ranking general in Taiwan's Army, was trained and entrusted with significant responsibilities by the nation. The office expressed disappointment that Kao failed to uphold his duty and loyalty to the nation for personal gain. The prosecutors are urging the court to impose minimum sentences of 10 years for Kao, eight years for Liu, eight years for Chang, six years for Hou, four and a half years for Chen, and three years and five months for Chiu.