A businessman accused of selling oil to North Korea yesterday attempted suicide, a week after he and his companies were put on a sanctions list by local authorities.
Chen Shih-hsien (陳世憲) took sleeping pills in an attempt to kill himself at his home in Kaohsiung yesterday morning and was rushed to a local hospital, police said.
After emergency treatment, he was discharged, as his condition was deemed non-life-threatening, a doctor at the hospital said.
Photo: Huang Liang-chieh, Taipei Times
The arrival of media at the hospital as Chen was being discharged resulted in a melee, as reporters chased him and his family for comments.
While his family members denied that he had attempted to commit suicide, Chen said that he was “framed by China” and that he “will prove [his] innocence by death.”
Chen is suspected of chartering a Hong Kong-registered tanker through Billions Bunker Group (比利恩油品集團) — which has the same local address as Chen’s fishing companies in Kaohsiung — to transfer oil at sea to a North Korean vessel in October last year.
The vessel was seized by South Korean customs officials in November last year, which prompted an investigation by Taiwanese authorities.
On Jan. 2, Chen was summoned for questioning by Kaohsiung prosecutors. He was released on bail of NT$1.5 million (US$50,968) and barred from leaving the nation.
The Ministry of Justice-led Terrorism Financing Prevention Review Committee on Friday last week put him on a sanctions list, along with Bunker’s Taiwan Group Corp, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands; Billions Bunker Group Corp, registered in the Marshall Islands; Oceanic Enterprise Co Ltd; and UMC Corp Peru SAC — all of which are linked to Chen.
The sanctions listing means that Chen and his overseas companies cannot withdraw, remit or transfer funds, the ministry said.
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