Pingtung County prosecutors indicted Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Aboriginal Legislator Chien Tung-ming (簡東明) and 57 other people on election law violations and vote-buying charges yesterday, after wrapping up a nearly two-month-long investigation.
The indictment was another strike against Chien, after prosecutors filed a court application on Feb. 19 as part of an investigation into vote-buying to nullify his election in the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections.
Lawmakers yesterday discussed options on how to fill the potential vacancy should Chien be found guilty in the Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office case, which would cause him to lose his seat in the legislature, including awarding the seat to the Aboriginal candidate with the next-highest number of votes or holding a by-election.
Also indicted were Ma Chao-ming (馬昭明), director of the KMT’s local chapter in Pingtung’s Sandimen Township (三地門), and Wang Jung-yi (王榮儀), director of the KMT’s local chapter in Pingtung’s Majia Township (瑪家).
The 58 indicted also included other local KMT members, members of Chien’s campaign and residents who admitted to having taken money in exchange for votes for Chien.
Pingtung head prosecutor Yang Wan-li (楊婉莉) said that after questioning suspects, witness testimonies and other evidence pointed to Chien having had direct involvement in vote-buying and other election law violations.
Yang alleged that during the campaign, Chien gave Wang NT$148,000 to buy votes in Majia and NT$123,000 for Wang to pass on to Ma to buy votes in Sandimen.
Chien allegedly provided lists of KMT members and local residents, to whom Wang disbursed between NT$1,500 and NT$3,000 each in exchange for votes for Chien, with some residents receiving as much as NT$7,000 for their votes, prosecutors said.
Upon learning of the indictments, Chien said: “The funds we distributed were wages for campaign activities, not money to buy votes. Prosecutors have committed a mistake, which has resulted in my campaign workers and supporters being indicted. I feel helpless in this situation, but the legal system will find me innocent of the charges.”
However, prosecutors said that the money was disbursed to eligible voters and not as payment for services rendered, adding that there were no receipts or instructions for any “work” done.
As the distribution of money was done in a furtive way, prosecutors viewed the funds as bribes given to local residents for their votes and indicted Chien and the others for contravening the Civil Servants Election And Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法).
Chien, 64, is a member of Pingtung County’s Paiwan community. He also goes by his Paiwan name, Uliw Qaljupayare.
He first represented the KMT after winning an Aboriginal legislator seat in 2008, which was followed by judicial proceedings against him on charges of vote-buying during that election.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS