A Taiwanese businessman who was accused last year of selling oil to North Korea died yesterday when he fell from the top floor of a six-story building in Kaohsiung, in what police said was likely a suicide.
Chen Shih-hsien (陳世憲) was the owner of several fishing companies and had interests in Billions Bunker Group Corp, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands; Billions Bunker Group Corp, registered in the Marshall Islands; Oceanic Enterprise Co; and UMC Corp Peru SAC.
Police from Kaohsiung’s Yancheng Precinct said they received a report at about 10am yesterday that a man, later identified as Chen, had fallen to his death from the building he lived in.
Chen was the target of a probe over allegations that he chartered a Hong Kong-registered tanker through the Billions Bunker Group to transfer oil to a North Korean vessel, breaching international sanctions.
In November 2017, the Hong-Kong-registered ship was seized by South Korean customs officials, which prompted the investigation by local authorities.
Chen was questioned by Kaohsiung prosecutors in January last year, released on bail of NT$1.5 million (US$48,154) and barred from leaving the country.
The Terrorism Financing Prevention Review Committee put him on a sanctions list and froze his assets, barring him and his companies from making bank withdrawals, remittances, transfers or payments.
A week later, Chen attempted suicide by taking sleeping pills at his home, but was found and rushed to hospital, police said.
Because he had tried to kill himself previously, his death is believed to be suicide, investigators said, adding that they had found what appeared to be a suicide note at Chen’s home.
An investigation is under way, but foul play has been ruled out, they said.
Kaohsiung prosecutors said it would be up to the Ministry of Justice to decide whether to unfreeze Chen’s assets.
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