Judicial investigators yesterday raided the head office of the Chinese Unity Promotion Party (CUPP) in Taipei on suspicion that it was receiving funding from China to carry out destabilizing activities in Taiwan, including financing the campaigns of certain candidates in the November nine-in-one elections.
Prosecutors and judicial units also searched the residence of CUPP founder Chang An-le (張安樂) — the former gangster known as the “White Wolf” (白狼) — and the homes of other leading party figures, including his son, Chang Wei (張瑋).
Six people — including Chang An-le, CUPP Chairman Chang Fu-tang (張馥堂) and CUPP Secretary-General Tang Ching-sheng (唐警生 ) — were summoned for questioning by prosecutors.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
Taipei prosecutors said they formed a task force in September last year to investigate the CUPP’s background financiers, money flow channels and where the money ended up amid allegations that the funds were going to similar pro-China groups and individuals in Taiwan.
Prosecutors said they have gathered evidence of illegal activities that contravene the National Security Act (國家安全法), the Political Donations Act (政治獻金法) and the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪防制條例).
Chang An-le had just returned to Taiwan from Shenzhen, China, where he reportedly had cataract surgery. Prosecutors had waited for him to return to his home in New Taipei City on Sunday before making their move.
Prosecutors told reporters that they had searched his home for materials relating to the probe and had confiscated his mobile phone to prevent him from colluding with party members and destroying evidence.
They had also collected 13 boxes containing documents, computers, USB drives and bank details from the CUPP head office.
Before answering the prosecutors’ summons last night, Chang An-le went to the CUPP office in the afternoon, where he spoke in public, admitting that the party receives funding from China, but denying that it came from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“CUPP funding does not come from any government. The money came from my company’s operating profits in China. It can be counted as money coming from China, but it did not come from the CCP,” Chang An-le said.
“The DPP [Democratic Progressive Party] government is using the judiciary to persecute me,” he said. “If this government wants to do so, go ahead and indict me, but do not involve my family members... This is selective prosecution, as there are other politicians in Taiwan who have received political donations [from China].”
Legislators have said that Chang An-le, a former top leader of the Bamboo Union gang who has extensive ties to political and business circles in China, had established the Taolue (“Strategy”) Group (韜略集團), with offices in Hong Kong and Dongguang City, China, with his two sons — Chang Wei and Chang Hsun (張珣) — registered as directors of a group subsidiary — Strategic Sports Ltd (韜略運動器材) in Dongguan.
Chinese officials and people connected to Chinese state-run corporations have allegedly provided funding to Chang An-le and the CUPP, with the money being laundered through Taolue Group and transferred to Taiwan.
Prosecutors said that while CUPP’s list shows that it has 20,000 members, the party had only received annual political donations of between NT$1 million and NT$2 million (US$32,657 and US$65,315) in the past five years, with annual personnel expenses of only NT$100,000.
The perceived discrepancy and dubious expense figures prompted investigators to focus on its sources of funding, with the party suspected of engaging in illegal transfers of money from China to fund activities aimed at destabilizing Taiwanese society, they said.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A signaling system malfunction disrupted high-speed rail (HSR) services beginning at 8am today, with trains temporarily reduced to three northbound and three southbound trains per hour as authorities conduct inspections. The malfunction occurred on a section of track in Miaoli County during pre-operation checks early this morning, forcing northbound and southbound trains to use a single track, the HSR operator said. The regular schedule has been replaced with three hourly trains offering only nonreserved seating in each direction, stopping at every station, it said, adding that business class cars would still have reserved seating. Departures from terminal stations are scheduled at the top
Taiwan is still in the process of assessing the possibility of recruiting workers from Eswatini, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that its goal is to help Eswatini upgrade its vocational training centers. If there are plans to recruit workers from Eswatini, safeguarding national security, protecting public health and ensuring the employment rights of Taiwanese would be prerequisites, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Yen Chia-liang (顏嘉良) told a news conference. Key considerations would also include filling labor shortages in specific industries, and fostering bilateral professional and technical exchanges, he said. Yen was asked about the progress of labor
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
RSS