Taipei Times staff reporter Brian Hsu reports in an article titled, “NSB plans oversight committee.” Excerpt:
National Security Bureau (NSB) director Tsai Tsao-ming…yesterday said that the bureau has begun instituting plans for the formation of a legislative committee to oversee intelligence.
Tsai said the plans were in line with recent legislative proposals to better monitor the NSB and its subordinate agencies.
“We have asked specialists from the German Bundestag [parliament] to come and consult with local lawmakers about how a legislative intelligence committee should operate,” Tsai said.
Tsai said that the NSB is also examining regulations by which US Congressional intelligence committees operate, and — hinting at the issue of trust — noted that the rules are “very strict.”
“According to the regulations, each member of the intelligence committee has to undergo a personal property investigation, a lie-detector test and a loyalty check. The member must also ensure that no information he or she learns in the committee will be leaked and that, if it is, he or she must face legal punishment,” he said.