The chairman of Taipei's renowned Taoist Hsing Tien Temple (
Their arrest came a day before the government recognized the temple as an example of social responsibility because of its cash donations to charities over the last year. The temple is also the most generous of all religious organizations in Taiwan.
In a ceremony yesterday presided over by Minister of the Interior Chang Po-ya (張博雅), the ministry cited 137 religious organizations for their contributions to Taiwan society. The same morning, Huang and his wife, Wei Hui-chun (魏蕙君), were being released on bail of NT$1 million and NT$100,000, respectively.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
According to ministry figures, religious groups reportedly made donations totaling NT$4 billion (US$118 million) in cash last year. Of that total, NT$595 million (US$17.5 million) was contributed by the Hsing Tien Temple.
Officials from the Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Justice said Huang and his wife are suspected of stealing huge sums of cash from the temple group's coffers and then laundering the money through six banks in Singapore.
The couple were interrogated overnight Thursday and given bail yesterday.
Investigators have, however, barred them from leaving the country.
Also interrogated were Huang's treasurer and two assistant business managers. Huang currently holds a US passport.
Investigators' suspicions were piqued when they discovered that Huang along with his assistant business manager Kao Chun-li (
Huang denied the allegations on Thursday. He said the money in the six banks in Singapore was amassed either through the De You Company (
"The money is completely personal profit and has no connection to the funds of the Hsing Tien Temple," Huang said.
When the interrogation ended, investigators said that the De You and TYI companies are just fronts for Huang's embezzled funds. Both have recorded large business losses, but investigators have evidence that they actually earned a combined profit of more than NT$100 million.
The two now face charges of embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion.
The Hsing Tien Temple, dedicated to Kuan Yu (關羽), a legendary hero of China's Three Kingdoms period (222 to 265AD), maintains a general hospital, a cultural and educational foundation and several libraries in addition to a number of similar temples in Taipei City and Taipei County.
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