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Police detain Wang of Eastern Multimedia Group

Eastern Multimedia Group chairman Gary Wang is escorted by investigators as he leaves the offices of the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau after questioning over bribery allegations yesterday. PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Prosecutors yesterday evening detained three officials from Eastern Multimedia Group (東森多媒體) including Gary Wang (王令麟), group chairman and son of fugitive and former Rebar Asia Pacific Group (力霸集團) chairman Wang You-theng (王又曾), as part of ongoing bribery and corruption investigations.

Eastern officials Tung Chia-ching (童家慶) and Hsieh Yin-lung (謝寅龍) were also detained.

Wang and other officials suspected of involvement in bribery and corruption were earlier yesterday summoned to the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office for further questioning.

Series of raids

Prosecutors began questioning Gary Wang and other company officials on Thursday after a series of raids on his properties.

"Prosecutors summoned Gary Wang and several company officials to find out more details about alleged bribery and corruption," said Lin Jinn-tsun (林錦村), spokesman for the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, yesterday.

Lin added prosecutors had summoned a total of 26 people from Gary Wang's company.

As Gary Wang left the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau office after questioning yesterday afternoon, he told reporters that he was cooperating with the investigation and was innocent.

Wang then traveled to the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office for another round of questioning.

four cases

Gary Wang and his associates are being questioned about four separate cases.

The first case alleges Gary Wang of illegally selling the group's stocks at an unreasonably low price.

The second case alleges that Gary Wang stole NT$27.2 billion from Asia Pacific Broadband Telecom Co (亞太固網), a local fixed-line operator and a subsidiary of Eastern Multimedia Group.

In the third case, prosecutors allege that Gary Wang tried to avoid paying taxes by selling one of the group's properties to Union Insurance Co (友聯產險) and subsequently renting out the property.

Prosecutors also suspect that Gary Wang may have bribed Taipei City Government officials to win the contract to operate the Taipei Arena for nine years.

In response to former Taipei City Sports Department director Liu Jia-Tseng's (劉家增) alleged involvement in the Taipei Arena scandal, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday that the Taipei City Government would cooperate with prosecutors while awaiting the results of the investigation.

Taipei Arena

The prosecutors questioned Liu on Thursday for allegedly accepting bribes from Eastern Multimedia Group chairman Gary Wang and helping him to win the contract to operate the Taipei Arena.

Hau said that Taipei City's Department of Government Ethics has been investigating Liu's involvement in the case under former Taipei mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) administration, and it had taken the initiative to send the case to the prosecutors this year.

"We will take action if the investigation finds that Liu did something illegal," Hau said after attending a municipal event.

"Right now we are waiting for the results of the investigation," he said.

Liu is currently serving as a special committee member under the city's Department of Education. Liu and the department yesterday both declined to comment on the case.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH
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