Suspects in an investigation into accounting firms and companies linked to the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) were released on bail early this morning, a day after questioning over allegations of fraud in campaign finance reporting.
Tuanmu Cheng (端木正), an accountant at Jing Hua CPA (精華會計師事務所) who was contracted by the TPP to handle financial reporting for TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) presidential bid, was released on bail of NT$1 million (US$30,945).
The amount was lowered after being initially set at NT$2 million.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Lee Wen-chuan (李文娟) — director of the marketing firm Muko (木可行銷公關), which handled events and merchandising for the Ko campaign — was released on bail of NT$1.5 million.
They have been barred from leaving the country and are to wear electronic surveillance monitors.
Both are under investigation for forgery after discrepancies were found in TPP reporting of campaign payments to marketing firms.
The party said earlier this week that mistakes were made in 17 campaign finance declarations totaling about NT$18 million.
Tuanmu’s assistant Chen Wei-hsuan (陳韋瑄) and Muko accountant Ho Ai-ting (何璦廷), who were originally called as witnesses in the case, have now been listed as suspects.
Chen was released without bail, while Ho was released on bail of NT$500,000.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over