TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A ruling party legislator filed a lawsuit Thursday (Jan. 22) against Taiwan People's Party (TPP, 民眾黨) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) over alleged national security violations. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP, 民進黨) legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) accused Huang of violating the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法) by allegedly removing confidential documents from a national defense meeting. The lawsuit escalates political tensions between Taiwan's major parties over national security protocols.
Chen cited surveillance footage showing Huang and his assistant disappearing for 42 seconds during the meeting, a gap she called suspicious. She questioned whether they used this time to photograph or leak sensitive information, potentially compromising Taiwan's national defense. Chen called on Secretary-General Chester Chou (周萬來) of the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, to preserve all related evidence, stating the footage raises serious questions about potential security breaches.
Huang dismissed the accusations, criticizing the DPP for what he described as "ridiculous ignorance of the law," calling the lawsuit politically motivated. He stated that a non-prosecution ruling from the prosecutor would prove his innocence and urged the party to stop sensationalizing the issue. Chen, however, maintained that the meeting prohibited the use of paper, pens, and mobile phones, suggesting Huang's actions were premeditated and intentional.
Chen insisted that Huang must publicly explain the 42-second disappearance, accusing him of lying about bringing his own documents to the meeting. She expressed frustration that Huang refused to address the unexplained absence. Huang reiterated that the accusations were baseless and said he would await the prosecutor's investigation outcome, declining to respond further to the DPP's allegations. ◼