The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted four China Airlines (CAL, 中華航空) staff and nine National Security Bureau (NSB) personnel on charges of corruption and contraventions of tax law in relation to a duty-free cigarette smuggling scandal.
Former CAL chartered flight division vice president Chiu Chang-hsin (邱彰信), two airline managers, and in-flight service supply division staff members Yu Yao (于堯), Huang Chuan-chen (黃川禎) and Chen Ying-yen (陳穎彥) were among the 13 indicted.
Colonel Lin Chih-chien (林志建) was the highest-ranking officer on the list, which also included majors Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) and Chang Heng-chia (張恒嘉), who have been detained on restricted communication.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Lin, Wu and Chang were working in presidential security units, while five of the indicted bureau personnel were military staff or non-commissioned officers working as drivers or vehicle security guards for the Presidential Office.
The defendants were charged with breaches of the Tax Collection Act (稅捐稽徵法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例), Deputy Chief Prosecutor Chen Chia-hsiu (陳佳秀) said.
Investigators found that 9,200 cartons of preordered cigarettes and 579 cartons purchased on board President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) flight were allegedly loaded onto five NSB-assigned trucks that joined the president’s motorcade after the flight returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on July 22 from an official visit to the nation’s Caribbean allies.
An estimated NT$5.874 million (US$187,058) in tax revenue was lost, Chen Chia-hsiu said.
Six other NSB and CAL personnel were put on probation after receiving deferred prosecution, as they face less serious charges based on provisions of the Tax Collection Act, prosecutors said.
Charges against two other NSB officers on an earlier list of suspects have been dropped due to insufficient evidence, Chen Chia-hsiu said.
CAL yesterday said that the airline regrets the indictment and apologized to the public.
“Our company has fully cooperated with the investigation and assisted in efforts to compile relevant records,” the statement said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩), elder sister of Chiu Chang-hsin, said: “I believe in my brother’s integrity, and that he worked diligently to devote himself to his job... I believe the justice system will acquit him.”
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS