The New Taipei City (新北市) District Court early yesterday morning ruled to detain 11 people suspected of involvement in corruption.
Among the suspects who were subsequently detained are Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lu Hsueh-chang’s (呂學樟) aide, Hsu Ju-sung (徐如松), and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Hsinchu County councilors Lin Pao-kuang (林保光), Lin Kuang-jung (林光榮), Chao Yi-hsien (趙一先) and Liu Liang-pin (劉良彬). Independent councilor Cheng Mei-chin (鄭美琴) was released on bail.
The district court granted the prosecutors’ request to detain the 11 people, following a hearing held on Friday night during which the prosecutors said that the 11 people, suspected of committing fraud and corruption, may collude on their testimonies if they are free.
The New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office on Thursday raided 50 locations and questioned 30 people — including Hsu, the five Hsinchu County councilors and several Hsinchu County school principals — who are suspected of accepting more than NT$10 million (US$345,000) in kickbacks in school procurement projects.
The prosecutors said they suspected that three book and computer software suppliers asked Hsu and the five councilors to help them win contracts in 2011 to supply books and software to 25 elementary and junior-high schools in the county.
The contractors allegedly sold school materials at prices two to five times higher than market prices, and more than NT$10 million was allegedly paid to Hsu and the councilors as kickbacks, the prosecutors said.
Lu had defended his integrity in the case.
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