A township mayor was detained after a massive operation in a probe into alleged graft and bid-rigging by public officials in Kaohsiung.
Namasia Township (那瑪夏) Mayor Payan Islituan was detained, 28 people were questioned and two contractors were released on bail over the weekend after more than 100 investigators on Thursday searched 35 locations.
Payan was detained pending charges over breaches of the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例), leaking confidential information and other offenses in the Criminal Code, said Hsieh Chao-ching (謝肇晶), head prosecutor at the Ciaotou District (橋頭) Prosecutors’ Office.
Four contractors allegedly paid NT$5 million (US$166,223) to secure bids on public projects, Hsieh said.
On Saturday, a man surnamed Chen (陳) was released after posting bail of NT$200,000, a man surnamed Lin (林) posted bail of NT$100,000, a man surnamend Lee (李) posted bail of NT$50,000 and a woman surnamed Chen (陳) was released without bail, Hsieh said.
The office said it received tip-offs alleging that Payan, 58, was taking advantage of his office by accepting NT$5 million in bribes as he oversaw public projects and supervised officials.
He was accused of colluding with contractors by leaking project specifications and the minimum bids that would be accepted for a project.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
RSS