The Ministry of Justice will focus on potential vote-buying cases over the course of the Dec. 1 election in Yunlin and Chiayi counties, Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (
"Our records showed us that violent activities and bribery occurred very often in these two areas during elections in the past," Chen said while visiting the Chiayi District Prosecutors' Office.
PHOTO: YU HSUEH-LAN, TAIPEI TIMES
"According to our investigation, similar activities are likely to happen again this year so we need to take some precautionary steps to avoid them."
Chen said the justice ministry will show its determination to rid the elections of bribery by "punishing hard and awarding much."
It also means whoever tries to buy votes will be sentenced with restricted laws and regulations when he gets caught and judged.
On the other hand, people who inform about related cases to help law enforcement bodies find the suspects or solve the cases will get a financial reward.
The minister did not say how big the reward would be.
"Currently, we have evidence that some candidates from Yunlin County and Chiayi County are trying to buy votes," he said.
"It seems to be quiet right now and these candidates have not done anything yet.
"However, since we have enough evidence, once they start to buy votes, they will be arrested immediately and their registrations for the election will be cancelled right away."
Chen also emphasized that prosecutors, investigators and police officers will work very hard to stop these vote-buying candidates this year.
To encourage these officials, Chen said the merit of investigating bribery cases will be considered and added to these officials' annual evaluation records.
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
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
‘FORM OF PROTEST’: The German Institute Taipei said it was ‘shocked’ to see Nazi symbolism used in connection with political aims as it condemned the incident Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 yesterday amid an outcry over a Nazi armband he wore to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case on Tuesday night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and apparently covering the book with a coat. This is a serious international scandal and Chinese
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE TRAINING: The ministry said 87.5 percent of the apprehended Chinese agents were reported by service members they tried to lure into becoming spies Taiwanese organized crime, illegal money lenders, temples and civic groups are complicit in Beijing’s infiltration of the armed forces, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a report yesterday. Retired service members who had been turned to Beijing’s cause mainly relied on those channels to infiltrate the Taiwanese military, according to the report to be submitted to lawmakers ahead of tomorrow’s hearing on Chinese espionage in the military. Chinese intelligence typically used blackmail, Internet-based communications, bribery or debts to loan sharks to leverage active service personnel to do its bidding, it said. China’s main goals are to collect intelligence, and develop a
RSS