A Taiwanese was detained in Hong Kong last month during a trip reportedly led by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi and she would apply for bail again today, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday.
MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) on Wednesday confirmed that the detention of a Taiwanese woman, surnamed Chen (陳), was reported to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hong Kong at 11am on Feb. 19 after she arrived in the territory with the delegation at about 10pm a day earlier.
Hong Kong, Macau, Inner Mongolia and Tibet Affairs division head Lu Chang-shui (盧長水) yesterday said that the office initiated the emergency aid mechanism soon after it received the report.
Photo: Taipei Times
It has visited the police station in Hong Kong to provide administrative assistance and informed Chen’s family about the situation, Lu said.
A source, who asked to remain anonymous, on Wednesday said that Fu and his wife, Hualien County Commissioner Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚), led the delegation to participate in a travel fair in Hong Kong.
Fu met with officials from Hong Kong’s Travel Industry Authority and district councilors, offering to facilitate Hong Kong government tourism collaborations with local governments in Taiwan, the source said.
Chen was a member of the delegation and was arrested upon entry, but Fu, who called himself a representative of Taiwan’s central government, did not report her detention to the MAC, the source said.
It was Chen’s family that reported the arrest to the MAC through Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Lin Yi-chun (林憶君), they said.
Chen was detained on charges of laundering US$10,000 in Hong Kong, the source said, adding that Hong Kong police had yet to presented evidence of the alleged wrongdoing.
Hong Kong news Web site HK01 on Wednesday reported that Chen’s alleged involvement in money laundering occurred in 2019 and cost a victim HK$3.29 million (US$423,248).
Hong Kong police found that one of the Chinese bank accounts used for the alleged scam belonged to a 55-year-old Taiwanese woman surnamed Chen, it reported.
However, the information the MAC has tells a different story from what Hong Kong media have reported, Liang said, adding that the council would continue to investigate.
Chen seems to have a clean background and appears unlikely to have engaged in activities related to national security, as she has worked for Shin Kong Chao Feng Ranch and Resort (新光兆豐休閒農場) in Hualien County for 20 years and her job mainly involves public relations and auditing, he said.
Her company has hired a lawyer for her in Hong Kong, Liang said.
Chen first applied for bail through her lawyer on Friday last week, but it was not approved by Hong Kong’s Magistrates’ Courts, he said.
She would apply for bail again today and would have a hearing on April 17 if her application is rejected, Liang said.
The office would send personnel to attend Chen’s bail application review hearing, provide necessary information and follow up on the case’s development, Lu said, adding that the council would strive to help Chen and her family.
MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) yesterday called on the Hong Kong government to explain the situation after the judicial proceeding is completed to avoid jeopardizing non-governmental bilateral exchanges.
The matter came to light on Wednesday, when Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) commented on Fu’s Hong Kong visit in a media interview.
Fu “has no right to speak on behalf of the central government,” the minister said. “How could he be a representative of the central government if he cannot protect his companion?”
Fu on Wednesday denied accusations that he was a member or the leader of the delegation, saying Lin Chia-lung should restrain himself.
He said that he paid for his trip to Hong Kong to promote tourism to Hualien County.
He did not know the detainee or what she might have done in Hong Kong previously, he added.
Additional reporting by Liu Wan-lin
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