Chinese Unity Promotion Party (CUPP) founder Chang An-le (張安樂) and his son, Chang Wei (張瑋), were yesterday released without bail after being summoned for questioning earlier in the day about funding sources for the party.
The CUPP has allegedly received money over the years from China to organize pro-China rallies in Taiwan and engage in violent activities against students and pro-Taiwan independence groups.
Leaving the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office after questioning last night, Chang Wei said that although prosecutors have the right to investigate, “they are using the judicial process to torment us. It does not leave a good impression for society.”
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
Prosecutors on Wednesday had also summoned other CUPP executives — including Hu Ta-kang (胡大綱) and Wen Chih-cheng (溫吉成) — for questioning, after raiding the party’s head office in Taipei, Chang An-le’s residence in New Taipei City and other locations the day before.
They confiscated 14 boxes, including computers, data files and accounting records.
A crowd of more than 100 CUPP members and followers had gathered in front of the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office in the afternoon, holding placards and shouting: “Chang An-le is not guilty.”
Prosecutors said they have gathered evidence and received tipoffs about money coming from Chinese officials and state-run agencies which were passed on to the Chang family’s Taolue Group, which has offices in China.
The funds were allegedly used to finance CUPP and Bamboo Union gang activities in Taiwan, they said.
Chang An-le, also known as White Wolf, was a former top leader of the Bamboo Union.
One of the probe’s focus was on CUPP leaders leading a money relief campaign after the Feb. 8 earthquake in Hualien, where they allegedly distributed NT$10 million (US$326,520 at the current exchange rate), by handing out “red envelopes” containing NT$10,000 each to 1,000 residents who were affected by the magnitude 6.4 quake.
Government officials and politicians have long questioned the CUPP’s sources of funds to finance activities ranging from the earthquake relief effort to protests and rallies, a number of which ended in violence.
Prosecutors have said that the CUPP’s records show that it had only received annual political donations of between NT$1 million and NT$2 million over the past five years.
“This is a big joke, for the judiciary to focus on our earthquake relief effort. It implies that donating money to help earthquake victims constitutes a crime, but people who are engaged in corruption are not guilty,” Chang An-le said yesterday.
He told reporters that the Taiwanese independence movement would cause war to break out.
“These people are pushing for independence, but what they want is to sell out Taiwan,” he said.
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