The Shilin District Court yesterday indicted former Academia Sinica president Wong Chi-huey (翁啟惠) on corruption charges relating to biotech company OBI Pharma Inc (台灣浩鼎).
Wong denied the charges, accusing the court of abusing its authority.
Wong was appointed president of Academia Sinica in October 2007 and began work on developing cancer vaccine technologies in 2008, the indictment read.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
He also started collaborating with OBI Pharma chairman Michael Chang (張念慈) — a friend from the time he was studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — on public research, it said.
In October 2011, Chang offered Wong 1,500 new shares of OBI Pharma in a quid pro quo exchange for technologies developed by Wong, which Wong accepted, prosecutors said.
However, the two later abandoned the scheme in favor of an agreement to exchange the technology for a future payment, after the Ministry of Economic Affairs expressed misgivings about the new shares, prosecutors said.
In August 2012, Academia Sinica posted a public notice for a corporate partner to transfer its patented “next-generation synthetic oligosaccharides technology,” which was obtained by Amaran Biotechnology Inc (潤雅生技), a company that shared an office with OBI Pharma.
Prosecutors said that the technology transfer was made under Wong and Chang’s direction, following the completion of the transfer of 3,000 shares of OBI Pharma on Dec. 17 to Wong’s daughter Wong Yu-shioh (翁郁秀).
Although Wong Yu-shioh was the nominal owner of the 3,000 shares, estimated to be worth NT$93 million (US$2.9 million at current exchange rates), prosecutors said they believed Wong Chi-huey has de facto control of the shares.
As to other issues, prosecutors said that no indictment was issued on Wong Chi-huey’s acceptance of a US$300,000 contribution from US-based Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc, because he was able to provide documentation proving that the sum was used for a legitimate cooperative project.
No indictment was also issued for Chang Sui-fen (張穗芬), the finance division manager of OBI Pharma who facilitated the stock transfer, because there was insufficient evidence that she knowingly participated in the act of bribery, prosecutors said.
Wong Chi-huey issued a press statement last night saying he was “shocked and angered” by the indictment, calling it “a far-fetched accusation and an abuse of prosecutorial authority.”
He denied having discussed stock options with Chang in a quid pro quo arrangement, and insisted that the 3,000 OBI Pharma shares he received were entirely self-funded and had no connection to his position then as president of Academia Sinica.
“This humiliation has done grievous injury to my academic reputation... I will strenuously defend my innocence through the legal process,” he said.
Meanwhile, OBI Pharma said that its operations and research would not be affected by the case, adding that it respected the court’s decision and would continue to stand by its management team.
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS