Kaohsiung: A former contract researcher at the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has been indicted on charges of accepting bribes, leaking confidential government documents, and assisting in money laundering in an espionage case, prosecutors in Kaohsiung announced. The woman, identified by her surname Lin, has been charged by the Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office for violating the Anti-Corruption Act, the Money Laundering Control Act, and the National Security Act. She is currently in custody following a court ruling permitting her detention.
According to Focus Taiwan, prosecutors have recommended a 12-year prison sentence for Lin, primarily due to her acceptance of bribes in exchange for breaching her official duties. The prosecutors' office claims that Lin allegedly established contact online in May 2025 with a member of a "foreign hostile force," a term generally implying China. This individual, surnamed Tseng, allegedly provided payments to Lin for tasks such as providing lists of Taiwanese journalists, transferring funds, and gathering information unfavorable to the government.
Lin joined the MOHW's Department of Protective Services in June 2025 as a contract associate researcher, responsible for administrative tasks related to subsidy programs involving local governments, as stated in the indictment. Investigators revealed that Tseng had Lin funnel money from the "hostile force" through various bank accounts into accounts designated for bribing military personnel surnamed Chiang and Hung, while disguising the funds' origins.
Additionally, Lin is accused of photographing confidential documents from the Nantou County government and the MOHW on March 10 and transmitting them to Tseng via a messaging app in return for payment. Prosecutors discovered Lin's connection to Tseng through an espionage case involving former CTi TV news anchor Lin Chen-you, who was indicted in May for allegedly bribing six active-duty and retired service members to leak military secrets to a "foreign hostile force."
Beginning in 2023, Lin Chen-you reportedly used five bank accounts to transfer money to six active-duty and retired Army and Navy personnel surnamed Hung, Chung, Chen, Yang, Lai, and Ko in exchange for classified military information, according to prosecutors. In the case involving Lin, Tseng allegedly agreed to pay her NT$5,000 (US$158) monthly, with some payments originating from Lin Chen-you's account.
MOHW Department of Protective Services Director-General Kuo Tsai-jung clarified that Lin worked at the ministry from June 2025 to May 2026 as a contract employee, with duties not involving classified information. Her responsibilities mainly included administrative work for social welfare subsidy programs, such as issuing documents and reviewing reimbursement applications.
Kuo mentioned that Lin appeared to have engaged in the alleged activities before joining the ministry, based on information from investigators, indicating the department was unaware of such conduct at the time. Kuo added that Lin ceased regularly reporting for work in May and later resigned through her family on May 25, with the department only indirectly learning about her potential investigation due to confidentiality rules.