Prosecutors yesterday searched offices of accounting firms and other companies linked to Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) presidential campaign amid allegations of fraud, while TPP Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) resigned from the party’s Central Standing Committee.
Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau personnel collected material at seven locations in and around Taipei, including at marketing firm Muko (木可行銷公關), accounting firm Jing Hua CPA (精華會計師事務所), OCT Entertainment Co (時樂) and Neo Creative Marketing Production Co (尼奧創意行銷).
They also searched the residences of Tai Li-ling (戴利玲), who is registered as the owner of OCT Entertainment and Neo Creative Marketing; Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗), chief financial officer for Ko’s presidential campaign; and Lee’s sister, Muko director Lee Wen-chuan (李文娟).
Photo: CNA
Tuanmu Cheng (端木正), an accountant at Jing Hua who was contracted by the TPP, Lee Wen-tsung, Lee Wen-chuan and staff at the companies were questioned.
A TPP spokesperson said that investigators did not search TPP headquarters or Ko’s office, adding that the party voluntarily handed over six boxes of material.
Earlier in the day, Huang resigned as a TPP Central Standing Committee member, although she would remain as one of the party’s eight legislators-at-large.
After the committee met yesterday afternoon, party officials told reporters that she had resigned.
Ko had approved her decision to step down from the party’s top decisionmaking body, the officials said.
Huang, Lee Wen-tsung and Tuanmu would have their cases scrutinized by the TPP Central Evaluation Committee, the officials said.
Later in the afternoon, Huang and a lawyer went to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office to file a request to investigate alleged wrongdoing by Tuanmu.
Tuanmu and Jing Hua earlier said that they had conducted their “auditing services for the TPP in accordance with all legal requirements.”
The firm in a statement denied claims of misconduct, errors or falsification of records.
Tuanmu said in the statement that he welcomes an investigation by prosecutors and the Control Yuan, adding that it would find him innocent of the party’s accusations.
Ko, TPP Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) and TPP caucus director Vicky Chen (陳智菡) on Saturday held a news conference after allegations of fraud, false declarations and other issues were reported.
Political parties that contest presidential and legislative elections are required to submit their financial records to the Control Yuan.
Ko said mistakes were made over the reporting of political donations and campaign finances, while Lee Wen-tsung made a public apology, saying that he had failed to properly check accounts and reports.
Mistakes were made in 17 political donation declarations totaling about NT$18 million (US$557,207), the party said.
An Emirates flight from Dubai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday afternoon, the first service of the airline since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday. Flight EK366 took off from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 3:51am yesterday and landed at 4:02pm before taxiing to the airport’s D6 gate at Terminal 2 at 4:08pm, data from the airport and FlightAware, a global flight tracking site, showed. Of the 501 passengers on the flight, 275 were Taiwanese, including 96 group tour travelers, the data showed. Tourism Administration Deputy Director-General Huang He-ting (黃荷婷) greeted Taiwanese passengers at the airport and
STRAIT OF HORMUZ: In the case of a prolonged blockade by Iran, Taiwan would look to sources of LNG outside the Middle East, including Australia and the US Taiwan would not have to ration power due to a shortage of natural gas, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday, after reports that the Strait of Hormuz was closed amid the conflict in the Middle East. The government has secured liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies for this month and contingency measures are in place if the conflict extends into next month, Kung told lawmakers. Saying that 25 percent of Taiwan’s natural gas supplies are from Qatar, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) asked about the situation in light of the conflict. There would be “no problems” with
PLANE HIT: The Israeli military said it shot down an Iranian Air Force fighter over Tehran, while an Iranian warship sank off Sri Lanka, with no cause known The US and Israel yesterday hit Iran’s capital and other cities in multiple airstrikes on the fifth day of the war with Iran. Israel targeted the Iranian leadership and security forces, while the Islamic Republic responded with missile barrages and drone attacks on Israel, and across the region. Tehran residents woke to dawn blasts and Iranian state television showed the ruins of building in the center of the capital. The Shiite seminary city of Qom and multiple other cities were also targeted. With fighter jets roaring overhead, those still in Tehran looked anxiously to the skies. One man, who ran a clothing shop,
Taiwan pineapples are to be exported to the US for the first time later this year, after the US yesterday announced importation requirements, the Ministry of Agriculture said today. The US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service yesterday published a draft of requirements to import Taiwanese pineapples, with a 62-day comment period, the ministry said in a news release. The US maintains strict requirements for imported fresh fruit, it said. The ministry’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency applied to export pineapples to the US in 2020 and has since cooperated with the US to provide all the necessary information and reports, it
RSS