Taipei prosecutors yesterday questioned a key suspect in their investigation into the downfall of the Alexander Group (
Taipei District Prosecutors Office spokesman Lin Ching-tsun (林錦村) yesterday said the suspect, Tseng Hsiao-tsun (曾曉村), was questioned by prosecutors yesterday afternoon. Prosecutors suspect he is a member of a group under investigation for defrauding companies suffering financial difficulties.
Lin said a woman named Chen Ai-hui (陳愛惠) was a university classmate of Tang Hsin-ru (唐心如), the younger sister of Alexander chairwoman Candy Tang (唐雅君). Chen introduced Lee Yung-hua (李永華), a suspected member of the alleged defrauding group, to the Tangs to finance the Alexander Group. Lee is suspected of then embezzling funds from Alexander Group.
PHOTO: WANG MIN-WEI, TAIPEI TIMES
Lee was released on NT$1 million (US$31,000) bail on Monday.
Lin said the group is under suspicion of funding companies in financial difficulties but then actually defrauding or plundering those companies.
Lin also said that Tseng has been accused in a separate case of embezzling funds from a company called San Chou Heng (三州行). That case is also under investigation
In the face of financial difficulties, the parent company of the nation's leading fitness centers, Alexander Health Clubs (亞力山大健康休閒俱樂部), last week shut down all 20 of its branches without prior notice to its 20,000 members or the company's 2,000 employees.
Candy Tang and Tang Hsin-ru, were released on NT$2 million bail each after they were detained on suspicion of defrauding health club customers. Tseng was also released last night on NT$2 million bail.
Prosecutors are investigating whether Candy Tang's actions constitute fraud under criminal law, Lin said.
Lin said that Candy Tang told prosecutors that Lee Yung-hua had agreed to finance her health club, but actually defrauded her of nearly NT$100 million, which led prosecutors to open their investigation into the group.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with
Standard Chartered Taiwan on March 26 announced that it has partnered with international fintech firm FinIQ to build an “Automated Structured Products Pricing Platform.” The bank is also introducing products from global issuers including Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Barclays PLC and BNP Paribas SA. The new platform enables an end-to-end process whereby it finds the most competitive pricing across multiple issuers in a matter of minutes, followed by automated documentation and transaction execution, which significantly shortens time-to-market and delivers a superior wealth management experience. Standard Chartered Bank Taiwan CEO Anthony Yu (游天立) said: “Standard Chartered is increasingly leveraging its wealth management
RSS