The Taiwan High Court yesterday upheld a guilty verdict handed to former Nantou County commissioner Lee Chao-ching (李朝卿) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), who was charged with corruption for siphoning funds from public projects, sentencing him to 22 years in prison and deprivation of civil rights for 10 years.
Chien Jui-chi (簡瑞祺), Lee’s brother-in-law who served as an intermediary, passing on messages and transferring illicit funds, was also found guilty, and given a 20-year term and deprived of his civil rights for nine years.
The ruling reduced the sentences handed to the two in 2015, with Lee having originally been sentenced to 30 years and Chien to 22 years.
Photo: Hsieh Chieh-yu, Taipei Times
Investigators found that Lee, as the highest official of the Nantou County Government, abused his authority by demanding 10 percent kickbacks from contractors of 111 public infrastructure projects starting in 2009, receiving a total of NT$31.71 million (US$1.05 million at the current exchange rate).
One such project — rebuilding several mountain villages’ roads and bridges washed away by Typhoon Morakot in 2009 — had a budget of NT$94.6 million, of which Lee received NT$9.49 million from the construction company that secured the public tender, prosecutors said.
The smallest project for which Lee earned a kickback was street sewer repair project in Puli Township (埔里) with a budget of NT$160,000, for which Lee received a kickback of NT$16,000, the prosecutors added.
The case was one of the largest corruption investigations involving the head of a local government in the past decade and achieved prominence in the media because of Lee’s preferred method of receiving funds from contractors — requiring them to put bundles of cash inside luxury tea containers and fruit gift boxes.
When authorities raided Lee’s office at the start of the investigation in November 2012, they found metal tea containers containing NT$30,000 each. Witnesses and evidence indicated that Lee would visit contractors to collect his 10 percent cuts, picking up the boxes to pass them off as gifts.
Lee, 67, was first elected Nantou County commissioner in 2005 and was re-elected to a second term in 2009.
Lee began his kickback scheme and other corrupt activities during his first term, with his “appetite” growing bigger in his second term, prosecutors said.
He was detained and suspended from his post when the investigation began in 2012 and, after evidence of his corruption mounted, Control Yuan members voted 11-1 to impeach him in September 2013.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
RSS