Four are indicted for surveilling Shen

SUSPICIONS: Shen said he had told police he was concerned the incident could be linked to a foreign entity, as he has been frequently targeted by China

Prosecutors yesterday sought an 18-month prison term for a man accused of accepting HK$99,950 (US$12,735) from two people in Hong Kong to surveil Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) in 2024.

Taipei prosecutors sought the sentence for private investigator Cheng Yung-chin (鄭永津), who was charged along with fellow private investigator Hsieh Yi-chen (謝乙辰) and two others over the surveillance of Shen, the DPP’s Taipei mayoral candidate in next month’s local elections.

Cheng, Hsieh and Hsieh’s employees, Chiang Wen-hsin (江文鑫) and Hou Kai-han (侯凱瀚), were indicted on charges of illegally collecting and using personal data under the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法), prosecutors said.

Democratic Progressive Party mayoral candidate Puma Shen, second right, gives a thumbs-up while greeting supporters during a visit to Taipei’s Wuxing Street Market yesterday.

Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times

Cheng was allegedly hired by Hong Kongers Kuk Kok-yin (鞠覺賢) and Lam Hing (林慶) on Sept. 5, 2024, to surveil Shen, prosecutors said, adding that Cheng received the money via bank transfer that day.

Cheng then subcontracted the job to Hsieh for NT$180,000, and Hsieh assigned Chiang and Hou to conduct the surveillance, prosecutors said.

Hsieh’s employees initially struggled to surveil Shen because Shen had hired personal security, prompting them to propose parking a scooter with a miniature camera under its seat outside Shen’s residence, which Cheng approved, prosecutors said.

The suspects recorded Shen’s and his family’s movements from Oct. 1 to Nov. 8, 2024, and sent the footage via Telegram to Cheng, who forwarded it to Kuk, also using Telegram, prosecutors said.

Chiang and Hou at times stayed in a vehicle outside Shen’s residence to monitor his movements and those of his wife and daughter, they added.

Meanwhile, Kuk and Lam entered Taiwan multiple times starting in September 2024, but are not currently in the country, they said.

Prosecutors yesterday issued arrest warrants for them on the same charges under the Personal Data Protection Act.

After becoming suspicious of the scooter, Shen’s security personnel reported it to the Taipei Police Department’s Daan Precinct in late 2024. It was referred to the prosecutors about a year ago.

Cheng repeatedly downplayed his role during questioning and showed no remorse despite eventually admitting the offense, warranting a harsher sentence, prosecutors said.

As Hsieh, Chiang and Hou admitted to the offenses and expressed remorse, acknowledging that their actions had violated Shen’s privacy, and also said they hoped to have an opportunity to apologize to Shen and seek his forgiveness, prosecutors asked the court to impose appropriate sentences on them.

Shen yesterday said that he has always taken his security seriously, and was saddened by the personal attacks from Taiwanese politicians and influencers who have downplayed China’s surveillance of him.

He said he had told police that he was concerned the incident could be linked to a foreign entity, as he has frequently been criticized or otherwise targeted by China, even before entering politics.

Before becoming a legislator in January 2024, Shen researched and organized international forums on civil defense and national security, activities that he said Beijing strongly disliked.

As an associate professor of criminology, Shen helped establish the Kuma Academy, a nonprofit civil defense organization focused on preparing Taiwanese for a potential Chinese invasion.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Oct. 14, 2024, added Shen to its list of “die-hard Taiwanese independence” separatists, citing his role in Kuma Academy.