Three Taipei borough wardens were early yesterday morning released on bail after being questioned on Friday night for allegedly accepting bribes in the form of paid visits to China, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said.
Thirty-eight other Taipei borough wardens who were also questioned on Friday night have been released without bail, the office added.
Wenshan District’s (文山) Zhongshun Borough (忠順) warden, surnamed Tseng (曾), was released on bail for NT$80,000, while Xinyi District’s (信義) Lian Borough (黎安) warden, surnamed Liu (劉), and Songshan District’s (松山) Dunhua Borough (敦化) warden, surnamed Su (蘇), each posted bail of NT$30,000, the office said.
Photo: Chien Li-chung, Taipei Times
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said it received anonymous tips alleging that the borough wardens and members of their family had accepted offers from the Shanghai branch of China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to China.
It was alleged that the TAO was attempting to “buy off” the wardens with the visit, and asked that the wardens and their family members support specific political parties and candidates, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said.
Preliminary investigations found that the wardens and their families had, starting in June, visited China in seven different groups, with travel fees costing only slightly more than NT$10,000, the prosecutor’s office said.
It added that the last group had just returned from China on Friday afternoon.
Supposing any members are found to have contravened the law, they would most likely be charged with contravening the Anti-infiltration Act (反滲透法), the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法) and the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), the prosecutors’ office said.
As per Articles 3-9 of the Anti-infiltration Act, no one should follow instructions, do favors for or accept funding from sources attempting to infiltrate the country, to use the Internet, take the stage, speak publicly or put up promotions, billboards, banners or flags to help promote an election candidate’s campaign.
Separately yesterday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) condemned foreign efforts to influence Taiwan’s elections, undermine its democratic systems and compromise its national security.
However, Hou said that the large-scale investigation into borough wardens while ignoring other cases, such as the alleged stock speculation for Medigen and suspected sale of COVID-19 screening kits at restaurants, is a selective investigation of cases meant to influence the public during election season.
Separately, a borough warden in Keelung has been detained as prosecutors investigate his involvement in organizing a recent trip to China at the request of China’s Yantai city government.
The Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office said in a news release on Friday that the borough warden, surnamed Wu (吳), is suspected of having organized and led a tour group to the city in Shandong Province from Nov. 21 to 26 with the help of another individual surnamed Kuo (郭).
The visit, which came at the request of the Yantai People’s Government Taiwan Affairs Office, was comprised of 33 people, including Wu and several Keelung borough wardens, as well as their relatives, prosecutors said.
The trip cost NT$5,500 per person, while all other expenses in China, including transportation, food and accommodation, were covered by their host, prosecutors said, adding that each person was also reimbursed 1,000 Chinese yuan (US$141.23) at the end of the trip.
During their time in Shandong, prosecutors said the visitors also met with the head and deputy chief of the Yantai office, who suggested they should vote for a “certain political party” in the Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections.
Kuo was released on bail of NT$100,000 after questioning by prosecutors on Wednesday.
Additional reporting by CNA
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