Nantou District Prosecutors Office yesterday indicted Nantou County Commissioner Peng Pai-hsien (
Five county officials and 11 businessmen were indicted along with Peng.
Authorities continued to question Peng throughout the day and into the evening yesterday. As of press time, it was not yet decided whether Peng would be released on bail or continue to be held for further questioning. Peng has already been in detention for two months.
The prosecution said it requested the harsh sentence for Peng because he had taken advantage of the misfortune of others to make money for himself, as well as the fact that there were multiple charges against Peng.
Outside the district court offices, Peng's supporters rallied all day yesterday for his release. Riot police were called in to keep an eye on the situation but the protests remained peaceful.
Prosecutors alleged that Peng and his close aides had misappropriated over NT$13 million in quake relief funds.
"After the quake, many people willing to donate money were not aware of the distinctions between government relief funds and [Peng's] New Nantou (新南投) Foundation and the Nantou County Construction and Development Foundation (南投縣建設發展基金會)," Nantou divisional head prosecutor Hsu Sung-kuei (
"Peng and his confidential secretary, Cheng Su-ching (
In the latter case, the money defrauded amounted to some NT$13.52 million, Hsu said.
But those close to Peng refuted the charges.
"This is an absolutely absurd indictment; we cannot accept it," said Cheng Su-ching in an interview with TVBS.
She said after the quake, people were uneasy donating money to the government relief efforts because they thought that giving money to a private fund would be better for quake victims since the government response was bound to be slow.
"It was under these circumstance that we offered them the option of donating to the Nantou County Construction and Development Foundation," Cheng said.
She stressed that the foundation was committed to reconstruction work.
"We did not take a cent from the foundation funds, nor did the foundation get a cent from the county government or any governmental relief fund," she said.
Stella Chen (陳婉真), director of the county's Social Affairs Bureau, also said "the prosecution is misleading the public by indicating the foundations as if the money had come straight out of Peng's own pockets."
The prosecution has also alleged that Peng was behind bid rigging in several post-quake reconstruction projects, including that of the county government's temporary office building.
The indictment says Peng bypassed public bidding procedures and awarded the contracts to companies he favored and in exchange for political support.
The prosecution also requested a 10-year sentence for Cheng Su-ching, 10 years for Chen Ming-chuan, 20 years for the county government advisor Pai Hsi-min (白錫旼), 15 years for the county government's contractor for construction design Wu Cheng-hsun (吳政勳) and seven years for the county government's policy planning unit director Tsai Pi-yun (蔡碧雲).
Peng, a political independent, was once a close associate of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), when both were DPP lawmakers. Peng withdrew from the DPP in 1997 when he decided to run for the post of commissioner after he was not nominated by the party.
Peng won the election by a narrow margin ahead of his KMT and DPP opponents.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS