A criminal investigation is to be launched into Chen Cheng-ting (陳政廷), son of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文), and the alleged laundering of NT$3 million (US$95,979), the Chiayi District Prosecutors’ Office has said.
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp on Tuesday last week returned an unlocked briefcase with NT$3 million in cash to the lawmaker after it was found on a train.
His son was supposed to use the cash to set up a bubble tea shop in the Philippines, the lawmaker said.
Media reports have since raised questions about the source of the money and whether it was a political donation.
The Political Donations Act (政治獻金法) stipulates that political parties or political associations can only receive up to NT$300,000 from individuals, NT$2 million from civil associations and NT$3 million from profit-seeking businesses.
Under the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法) financial institutions are required to report to the authorities each cash transaction by a client that exceeds NT$500,000.
Media personality Huang Yueh-hung (黃越宏) on Wednesday filed a complaint against Chen Cheng-ting at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, accusing him of money laundering.
However, the district prosecutors’ office in Chen Cheng-ting’s home region of Chiayi is to lead the probe as it applied for it, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said.
Chen Tse-chia (陳澤嘉), accompanied by his lawyer, denied at a news conference on Tuesday all allegations surrounding the money, saying that there were transaction records that he would be presenting to prosecutors.
The lawmaker threatened to file a lawsuit against those who accuse him or his son of money laundering, or of receiving illegal political donations.
The cash was withdrawn from a bank in small amounts by the lawmaker’s family, Chen Tse-chia said.
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