Creditors of Formosa Tools Co yesterday asked the Ministry of Justice to investigate allegations of bankruptcy fraud and illegal transfer of assets involving the Changhua County company.
The firm reportedly defaulted on bank loans totaling NT$587 million (US$20.52 million) and owes NT$388 million to 194 supplier companies, who have formed a group for Formosa Tools’ creditors and filed a complaint with the Changhua branch of the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau.
The group said that there were financial irregularities in Formosa Tools’ bankruptcy filings.
One creditor surnamed Lin (林) said that Formosa Tools vice president Hsu Wei-chun (許維鈞) had moved most of the company’s production materials to its Vietnamese plant before filing for bankruptcy.
Hsu had allegedly told one supplier that his company’s main production would be based in Vietnam, Lin said.
His company had a business relationship with Hsu for more than 20 years until Hsu encountered financial difficulties last year, Lin added.
Lin said that Formosa Tools had defaulted on NT$587.4 million in bank loans — NT$250.9 million from Taiwan Cooperative Bank, NT$133 million from Bank SinoPac, NT$56.7 million from Cathay United Bank, NT$90 million from Shanghai Commercial and Savings Bank, NT$36 million from Sunny Bank and NT$20.8 million from Fina Finance and Trading.
Hsu and his brother, Hsu Ting-chin (許廷鑫), have obtained US citizenship, making it difficult for creditors to recover their money, Lin said.
Hsu Wei-chun refuted the allegations.
“It is not true that I have fled Taiwan to avoid repaying debts. I am still in Taiwan and running the company, and making every effort to settle this financial situation,” Hsu Wei-chun told reporters yesterday.
Formosa Tools mainly exports gardening tools and household implements, but the COVID-19 pandemic last year led to increases in the costs of maritime shipping, he said, adding that he had problems booking cargo ships, especially in the second half of last year.
“My company could not ship our products, which led to our cash flow problems late last year, and now I am negotiating with banks to restructure loan repayment plans, and also working to settle debts with supplier companies,” he said.
Hsu Wei-chun and his brother have headed Democratic Progressive Party-affiliated branch offices for overseas Taiwanese in the US, and have been supporters of the party for many years, local media reported.
Changhua residents familiar with the brothers said that they campaign for the party, but had never run for office.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
INCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain