Taiwan’s ruling party accuses opposition lawmaker of treason over alleged submarine 'leak'

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Monday accused opposition lawmaker Ma Wen-chun of treason over alleged sharing of sensitive submarine information with a "foreign nation."

The spokesman for Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and presidential candidate, Chen Shih-kai, accused Ma of repeatedly obstructing the defense budget in the Legislative Yuan and called out the opposition party's presidential hopeful, Hou Yu-ih, for avoiding questions related to this matter.

During a press conference on Monday, Ma denied the accusations of leaking sensitive submarine documents, Taiwan-based TVBS News TV channel reported.

He also asserted that he had not sought any personal benefits from Huang Shu-Kuang, who oversees Taiwan's first domestically manufactured submarine project, known as "Hai Kun."

Taiwan's prosecutors said on Monday they are probing allegations of interference and leaks related to the island's submarine program, posing a significant security risk.

Last week, Taiwan unveiled its first domestically-developed submarine as part of efforts to bolster defense against China's navy, but it won't be operational for two years.

Huang Shu-Kuang, the program's leader, accused unnamed lawmakers of obstructing critical equipment purchases and claimed a contractor leaked information to China.

On Friday, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators urged the prosecutors to investigate the controversy involving the construction of Taiwan's first indigenous defense submarine which was unveiled on Thursday.