Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Hsieh Wei-chou (謝維洲) — son of Taiwan’s representative to Japan and former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) — yesterday rebutted a news report that he is mired in debt from losses on the sports lottery.
An online news report yesterday said that Hsieh Wei-chou had run up a debt of almost NT$10 million (US$309,511).
The councilor, of the Beitou (北投) and Shilin (士林) constituencies, was a regular at lottery stations in the two districts, the report said.
According to the report, Hsieh Wei-chou, said that in the first half of the year he had cleared all his debt.
“I do not buy sports lottery tickets anymore. Now, I just focus on my work as city councilor,” Hsieh Wei-chou was quoted as saying.
A source at the Taipei City Council contradicted that statement, saying that Hsieh Wei-chou’s mother, Yu Fang-chih (游芳枝), had returned from Japan to help her son settle a debt, the report said.
Hsieh Wei-chou became obsessed with the sports lottery after his friends from military service introduced him to it, the source said.
According to the source, Hsieh Wei-chou significantly raised the stakes of his wagers after being elected Taipei city councilor in 2014, which caused him to become burdened with a huge debt that he repaid in part using low-interest loans that Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank offers to Taipei city councilors, which have an upper limit of NT$2 million, and by borrowing money in the name of his office.
Frank Hsieh was reportedly furious over his son’s behavior, even once telling him that he “might as well die,” according to the report.
Hsieh Wei-chou said on Facebook yesterday that the report was inaccurate, as he had bought sports lottery tickets before, but had not incurred any debts because of it.
He dismissed the allegations that he had used the low-interest loans to pay his debts, saying that he took out the loan to repay money he owed his supporters during his election campaign.
He apologized to his supporters over his “indiscretion,” saying that he would reflect on his behavior.
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
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS