Entrepreneur Samuel Yin (尹衍樑) disclosed in an interview published on Wednesday that he was the whistle-blower in a bribery case involving former Taoyuan County deputy commissioner Yeh Shih-wen (葉世文), the then-head of the central government’s Construction and Planning Agency (CPA).
The Ruentex Group chairman told a local magazine that last year Yeh asked him in person for a kickback in exchange for helping to secure a government property development contract.
“He said: ‘I can help you win the bid. If we strike a deal, I will lobby the selection board so that you will win the contract,’” Yin was quoted as saying in the latest issue of Business Today.
On making the appeal, Yeh said that he had been a civil servant his whole life and was trying to set aside some money for his retirement, Yin said.
Yin said he rejected Yeh’s proposal and cautioned him not to break the law. Shortly after the alleged exchange with Yin, Yeh was appointed Taoyuan County deputy commissioner.
In July, Yeh was indicted on charges of taking bribes in exchange for awarding government-sponsored housing projects.
In the interview, Yin said it was he who called the Ministry of Justice’s Agency Against Corruption and reported Yeh to the authorities the day after their exchange.
Yeh, along with Farglory Land Development Co chairman Chao Teng-hsiung (趙藤雄), was indicted on corruption charges involving two property development projects — one funded by the Taoyuan County Government and the other by the central government.
During the investigation into the Taoyuan County project, Chao admitted to paying a bribe of NT$16 million (US$510,920) to Yeh through an intermediary to win a NT$1.3 billion construction contract in the county in April.
Yeh was relieved of his county government post on May 30, after investigators raided his home and office, finding millions of dollars in cash.
Prosecutors said Yeh might have taken about NT$100 million in bribes during his time as head of the Construction Planning Agency and as deputy head of the county government.
Meanwhile, commenting on a yet-to-be-honored pledge made in October by scandal-ridden food conglomerate Ting Hsin International Group (頂新國際集團) that it would donate NT$3 billion (US$95.8 million) for the establishment of a food safety reform committee, Yin said “if it comes to that, I will contribute” to the fund.
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