Zhou Manzhi (周滿芝), head of the Taiwan New Immigrants’ Association, which assists Chinese spouses in Taiwan, was last night released without bail after being detained on suspicion of vote-buying and setting up Chinese Communist Party (CCP) networks in Taiwan.
Kaohsiung prosecutors had earlier this week charged her with breaches of the National Security Act (國家安全法) amid allegations that she had been received funding from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO).
They said that evidence showed that Zhou received money and instructions from the TAO to recruit Taiwanese to join the CCP, and to conduct “united front” propaganda to subvert Taiwan’s sovereignty and national security.
Photo: Wu Cheng-feng, Taipei Times
Prosecutors have transferred the case to the Kaohsiung branch of the High Court, which covers national security cases, and applied for pretrial detention.
In December last year, Zhou, along with Hsu Shao-tung (徐少東), the chairman of SunLine International who has been detained on allegations of investment fraud and producing fake public surveys to influence the Jan. 13 elections, and others came under investigation for allegedly leading a 60-person group on a trip to China’s Hunan Province, with all expenses paid for by the TAO and the local Chinese government.
Prosecutors said that aside from material evidence, witnesses have said that during the tour and at meetings with CCP officials, Zhou asked them to vote for certain party candidates when they return to Taiwan, and promoted CCP propaganda, such as “peaceful unification for Taiwan” and “both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to the same family.”
Zhou and other suspects were later listed as suspects under the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) and the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法).
RESTRICTIONS: All food items imported from the five prefectures must be accompanied by radiation and origin certificates, and undergo batch-by-batch inspection The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday announced that almost all produce from five Japanese prefectures affected by the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster would now be allowed into Taiwan. The five are Fukushima, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki and Tochigi. The only items that would still be blocked from being imported into the nation are those that are still banned from being circulated in Japan, the FDA added. With the removal of the ban, items including mushrooms, the meat of wild birds and other wild animals, and koshiabura” (foraged vegetables) would now be permitted to enter Taiwan, along with the other
A new tropical storm is expected to form by early tomorrow morning, potentially developing into a medium-strength typhoon that is to affect Taiwan through Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration said today. There are currently two tropical systems circulating to the east of Taiwan, agency forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. The one currently north of Guam developed into Tropical Storm Gebi this afternoon and is expected to veer toward Japan without affecting Taiwan, Hsu said. Another tropical depression is 600km from the east coast and is likely to develp into the named storm Krathon either late tonight or early tomorrow, he said. This
Tropical depression TD22, which was over waters south of the Ryukyu Islands, is likely to develop into a tropical storm by this morning and pose a significant threat to Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The depression is likely to strengthen into a tropical storm named Krathon as it moves south and then veers north toward waters off Taiwan’s eastern coast, CWA forecaster Hsu Chung-yi (徐仲毅) said. Given the favorable environmental conditions for its development, TD22’s intensity would reach at least typhoon levels, Hsu said. As of 2pm yesterday, the tropical depression was about 610km east-southeast of Taiwan proper’s
Drinking a lot of water or milk would not help a person who has ingested terbufos, a toxic chemical that has been identified as the likely cause of three deaths, a health expert said yesterday. An 83-year-old woman surnamed Tseng (曾) and two others died this week after eating millet dumplings with snails that Tseng had made. Tseng died on Tuesday and others ate the leftovers when they went to her home to mourn her death that evening. Twelve people became ill after eating the dumplings following Tseng’s death. Their symptoms included vomiting and convulsions. Six were hospitalized, with two of them