The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday searched the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Taipei city chapter and questioned staff members, including the director, in a broadening probe into allegedly forged signatures in recall campaigns, Chinese-language media reported.
Investigators reportedly questioned KMT Taipei chapter director Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), chapter secretary-general Chu Wen-ching (初文卿), chapter secretary Yao Fu-wen (姚富文) and first district committee executive director Tseng Fan-chuan (曾繁川).
The prosecutors’ office in a statement last night said that police searched the offices and homes of four people, including a person identified as Huang Lu “X”-ju, and the office of an unnamed political party in connection to an ongoing fraud investigation.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
It has no bias and its line of inquiry is guided by evidence, it said, adding that the public should refrain from politicizing the work of prosecutors.
The investigation centers on allegations that recall campaigns targeting Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤), the party’s caucus chief executive, and Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) used falsified signatures.
KMT supporters were protesting last night outside the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office in Zhongzheng District (中正), a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed.
Photo: CNA
The action came two days after six people — Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮), Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟), Liu’s husband, Lin Jui (林叡), Lai Yi-jen (賴苡任), Man Chih-kang (滿志剛) and Chen Kuan-an (陳冠安) — posted bail in the case.
Liu, Lai, Man and Chen are KMT Youth League members dubbed in the media as the “four knights” of the bid to recall Wu.
Liu, Lai and Man each posted bail of NT$500,000, Lee and Lin each posted bail of NT$300,000 and Chen posted bail of NT$200,000, the prosecutors’ office said on Tuesday.
Prosecutors launched probes into the recall campaigns after the Central Election Commission alerted law enforcement of irregularities in signatures gathered by the campaigns.
Organizers backed by the DPP have launched recall campaigns against 35 KMT lawmakers using petitions that allegedly included 160 counterfeit signatures and 12 signatures of dead voters, the commission said.
KMT-backed recall drives against 17 DPP lawmakers had petitions that allegedly included 42 counterfeit signatures and 1,784 signatures of deceased voters, it said.
In related news, the New Taipei City District Court on Wednesday night said that six people were released on bail of NT$30,000 to NT$200,000 and barred from leaving the country in an ongoing investigation into alleged fraud in recall campaigns targeting DPP legislators Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), Wu Chi-ming (吳琪銘), Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) and Lee Kuen-cheng (李坤城).
Earlier that day, New Taipei City prosecutors directed a search of 30 residences, offices and KMT branches after receiving evidence of alleged irregularities in recall petitions, prosecutors said.
Tainan prosecutors are also investigating similar allegations in the campaign to recall DPP legislators Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) and Wang Ting-yu (王定宇).
On March 20, investigators searched the KMT Tainan chapter, questioning five people.
Two suspects, surnamed Chuang (莊) and Liu (劉), have been detained incommunicado, while the other three were released.
Additional reporting by Chen Yi-shao, Shih Hsiao-kuang and Jonathan Chin
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS