Taipei prosecutors investigating allegations of fraud involving Microsoft Taiwan yesterday summoned executives from five other companies for questioning.
Microsoft Taiwan manager Chang Ming-fang (張銘芳) was on Saturday released on NT$800,000 (US$28,178) bail, but is barred from leaving the country.
A Weblink International manager surnamed Cheng(鄭), a representative from an unnamed information technology company surnamed Lin (林) and a SYSTEX Software sales manager surnamed Weng (翁) were summoned for questioning. All three were each released on NT$300,000 bail.
A Tatung System Technologies manager surnamed Yang (楊) and a Dimerco Data System Corp sales manager surnamed Chuang (莊) were summoned and later released on NT$200,000 and NT$150,000 bail respectively.
Prosecutors launched an investigation after receiving reports of forged documents and fraudulent transaction records while Chang worked as a sales manager at Microsoft Taiwan in 2016 and 2017.
Local media reported that Chang allegedly fabricated documents saying that he had arranged a software procurement deal with Chunghwa Post to obtain Microsoft software packages at a discount. Managers at other companies who he allegedly colluded with then reportedly sold the packages at the usual price.
They allegedly made NT$120 million in illegal profits.
Chang allegedly also received a NT$3.8 million sales bonus from Microsoft Taiwan for the Chunghwa deal, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors have listed Chang and the five company executives as suspects in the case. They face charges of financial fraud, embezzlement, document forgery and breach of trust.
Microsoft Taiwan officials said they would not comment as the case is being investigated.
In a separate case, former Alpha Networks chief legal officer Lu Shao-fu (呂紹甫) has been found guilty of colluding with a Chinese lawyer to defraud the company of NT$26 million.
The Hsinchu District Court on Friday handed Lu a seven-year prison sentence.
Investigators found that Lu worked with Jiang Chuming (蔣楚明), a lawyer based in Shanghai, from 2011 to 2015.
Jiang registered a shell company named Alpha Image Co in the British Virgin Islands, and Lu wired money into Jiang’s HSBC Bank accounts, after fabricating documents saying that she filed company patents, handled legal processing fees and dealt with business registrations, investigators found.
It was the first ruling in the case and can still be appealed. Authorities have issued a wanted bulletin for Jiang, effective until 2039.
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