Ten people who allegedly helped a fugitive businessman flee to the Philippines in September last year have been indicted on suspicion of contravening the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法), the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday.
Global Funeral Service Corp president Chu Guo-rong (朱國榮), who was sentenced to 24 years in jail for insider trading and stock manipulation, fled the country while on bail as he appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court.
Under his bail arrangement, Chu was required to report in person to the Sanzhangli Police Station in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) every day before 7pm.
Photo: Taipei Times
After failing to report following his last visit on Sept. 7 last year, he was on Sept. 23 listed as a wanted fugitive. The Supreme Court issued a warrant for his arrest and canceled his NT$517 million (US$16.06 million) bail bond.
The 10 indicted include Chu’s business partner, George Chou (周哲男), a yacht charter operator; the captain and two crew members of a yacht; and three relatives of Chu’s girlfriend, who traveled to the Philippines with him, Taipei prosecutors said.
Chu’s secretary, surnamed Tseng (曾), and a couple who sell jewelry were also indicted, the prosecutors said.
Taipei prosecutors said they believed Chu fled because he assumed he was likely to receive a harsh final sentence and was unwilling to go to jail.
Chu knew Vanuatu passport holders were eligible for visa-free travel to British Commonwealth nations and Russia, among others, the prosecutors said.
With that in mind, he conspired with his girlfriend, surnamed Chen (陳), and her family to have Chen’s father pretend to be Chu and go to Hong Kong to apply for a Vanuatu passport, prosecutors said.
Chu purchased an Italian yacht in his company’s name, and on Sept. 7 last year, the captain and two crew members sailed it from Keelung’s Badouzi Fishing Harbor (八斗子漁港) to the Port of Anping (安平港) in Tainan.
After Chu reported to the police station, Chou drove him and others to Anping, before smuggling them to Laoag, Philippines, where Chu entered with the Vanuatu passport, prosecutors said.
Chu and his girlfriend then traveled to Vanuatu with the jewelry dealer surnamed Lin (林) and her foreign spouse, surnamed Hsia (夏), whom Chu had met when he was involved in the jewelry trade.
Lin and Hsia returned to Taiwan, with Hsia helping arrange the airfare for Chu and his girlfriend to fly to Israel and then Moscow. Chu’s whereabouts are unknown.
With Chu and Chen on the run, Chen’s mother and younger brother have cared for Chu and Chen’s son in Taiwan, while also paying expenses Chen had racked up on her credit card overseas, prosecutors said.
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