Pingtung County prosecutors indicted Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Aboriginal Legislator Chien Tung-ming (簡東明) and 57 other people on election law violations and vote-buying charges yesterday, after wrapping up a nearly two-month-long investigation.
The indictment was another strike against Chien, after prosecutors filed a court application on Feb. 19 as part of an investigation into vote-buying to nullify his election in the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections.
Lawmakers yesterday discussed options on how to fill the potential vacancy should Chien be found guilty in the Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office case, which would cause him to lose his seat in the legislature, including awarding the seat to the Aboriginal candidate with the next-highest number of votes or holding a by-election.
Also indicted were Ma Chao-ming (馬昭明), director of the KMT’s local chapter in Pingtung’s Sandimen Township (三地門), and Wang Jung-yi (王榮儀), director of the KMT’s local chapter in Pingtung’s Majia Township (瑪家).
The 58 indicted also included other local KMT members, members of Chien’s campaign and residents who admitted to having taken money in exchange for votes for Chien.
Pingtung head prosecutor Yang Wan-li (楊婉莉) said that after questioning suspects, witness testimonies and other evidence pointed to Chien having had direct involvement in vote-buying and other election law violations.
Yang alleged that during the campaign, Chien gave Wang NT$148,000 to buy votes in Majia and NT$123,000 for Wang to pass on to Ma to buy votes in Sandimen.
Chien allegedly provided lists of KMT members and local residents, to whom Wang disbursed between NT$1,500 and NT$3,000 each in exchange for votes for Chien, with some residents receiving as much as NT$7,000 for their votes, prosecutors said.
Upon learning of the indictments, Chien said: “The funds we distributed were wages for campaign activities, not money to buy votes. Prosecutors have committed a mistake, which has resulted in my campaign workers and supporters being indicted. I feel helpless in this situation, but the legal system will find me innocent of the charges.”
However, prosecutors said that the money was disbursed to eligible voters and not as payment for services rendered, adding that there were no receipts or instructions for any “work” done.
As the distribution of money was done in a furtive way, prosecutors viewed the funds as bribes given to local residents for their votes and indicted Chien and the others for contravening the Civil Servants Election And Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法).
Chien, 64, is a member of Pingtung County’s Paiwan community. He also goes by his Paiwan name, Uliw Qaljupayare.
He first represented the KMT after winning an Aboriginal legislator seat in 2008, which was followed by judicial proceedings against him on charges of vote-buying during that election.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS