A township official in Yilan County was detained yesterday amid a corruption investigation in which five others have been accused of accepting bribes linked to public events.
Sansing Township (三星) Mayor Lee Chih-yung (李志鏞) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was listed as a suspect following a bail court hearing after prosecutors, Agency Against Corruption officers and local police on Tuesday searched residences and offices in connection with the case.
The five others named as suspects included Hsiao Cheng-yue (蕭振岳), head of the Sansing Bureau of Agriculture, and the proprietor of a contractor company surnamed Chang (張). Hsiao and Chang were released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,867) and NT$200,000 respectively.
Photo: CNA
The other three suspects were a township office worker surnamed Chen (陳), who is Hsiao’s subordinate at the bureau; Chang’s wife and another contractor, surnamed Shen (沈). Chen and Chang’s wife were released on bail of NT$100,000 each, while Shen posted bail of NT$50,000.
Prosecutors questioned 16 others in connection with the probe.
Lee, 57, is accused of accepting bribes from firms seeking to win contracts for public tender projects overseen by the Sansing office, including a farm produce and flower festival in 2019, street decorations and landscape lighting for the 2020 Annong Creek Bald Cypress event and a 2020 winter holiday bazaar that had special street lighting and a giant Christmas tree.
Lee is in his second term as Sansing mayor after having previously served as a township and county councilor. He represented the KMT in the 2016 legislative elections, but lost.
In Hualien County, Sioulin Township (秀林) Mayor Wang Mei-kuei (王玫瑰) was detained in a separate corruption investigation.
Hualien prosecutors, Agency Against Corruption officers and local police on Thursday last week conducted searches and summoned nine people for questioning, including Wang, a KMT member.
She and two contractors were denied bail and have been in custody since Friday last week.
Wang, whose Truku name in Sitang Yuci, is in her second mayoral term. She has been accused of accepting bribes from contractors.
Lee and Wang face charges of contraventions of the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).
Prosecutors said that during campaigning ahead of last year’s local elections, Wang was accused by local residents of accepting bribes, vote buying and other unlawful activities.
A contractor surnamed Pao (包) allegedly provided funding and material for Wang’s campaign, prosecutors said.
Investigators said that there were potential conflicts of interest, as Pao’s company had secured public tender projects during Wang’s first term as mayor and then underwritten her election expenses, including by providing vests, hats, flags and brochures promoting Wang.
Pao’s company was estimated to have gained NT$1 million from the contracts it was granted, prosecutors said.
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