The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) yesterday said it had made a request through the cross-strait judicial mutual assistance mechanism to have fugitive former Changhua County council speaker Pai Hung-shen (白鴻森) returned to Taiwan.
Pai is rumored to have been living in China since his disappearance from a hospital last month. Reports say that he was seen at a mansion in Xiamen, with his daily living arrangements taken care of by friends.
Prosecutors said they have information on Pai’s possible whereabouts and have asked that he be arrested and sent back to Taiwan.
Prosecutors also said they may summon Pai’s doctor to question him about his diagnosis and determine whether he could be held accountable for aiding Pai’s escape.
The former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) council speaker was sentenced in May 2006 to eight years in prison for misappropriating NT$890,000 (US$28,000) to treat friends and supporters at hostess bars. He was found guilty of corruption and ordered to return the money.
In August, before starting his prison term, Pai was admitted to Taichung Veterans General Hospital for heart surgery.
Despite a police guard, Pai managed to flee the hospital while recuperating from surgery.
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