TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) assured legislators on Wednesday that the alleged spy Ho Jen-chieh (何仁傑) never worked at the National Security Council or Ministry of National Defense.

Ho is accused of working for China during NSC Security-General Joseph Wu’s (吳釗燮) term as foreign minister from 2018 to 2024. Ho has been detained incommunicado following a court decision. 

There are concerns about potential national security breaches, as Ho’s wife previously served in the Military Police’s 211th Battalion, CNA reported.

Koo said the MND conducts security checks every three years, and no personnel have been implicated in the case as of now. The defense minister attended a Legislative Yuan Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee interpellation session on Wednesday about a draft amendment to reform penalties for Armed Forces personnel convicted of treason or violating national security laws.

Ho is one of multiple recent espionage cases involving DPP-affiliated staff or officials. The aide to former Legislative Speaker and DPP co-founder You Si-kun (游錫堃) purportedly passed on confidential legislative documents to Chinese intelligence agencies in exchange for payments.

Last week, National Security Bureau Director Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) pledged to hunt down Chinese spies in the Taiwan government and punish them. Tsai said the NSB would “swiftly investigate and severely punish those involved in espionage cases.” 

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) announced in March a 17-point plan to counter China’s efforts to infiltrate Taiwan society, including restoring the military court.