The Taipei District Court yesterday approved the seizure of NT$38.83 million (US$1.19 million) from Muko Public Relations (木可行銷公關), a company associated with the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), for alleged falsified accounting and unlawful transfer of funds for personal profiteering.
Taipei prosecutors also summoned former TPP chief financial officer Liang Hsiu-chu (梁秀菊) for questioning yesterday.
She was released afterward.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was summoned on Tuesday for two questioning sessions, first in the morning by Taipei prosecutors, then in the afternoon by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB), which was investigating the party’s political donations and campaign funds money flow.
Taipei prosecutors in a release said they had filed an application to the Taipei District Court to seize Muko’s assets.
Prosecutors said they had uncovered numerous financial items that were supposed to be political donation campaign finances for Ko and the TPP, but were transferred to Muko accounts for alleged unlawful use by Ko and his family.
Set up in late 2022, Muko was located next to the TPP’s office in Taipei, and was managed by Lee Wen-chuan (李文娟), sister of Ko’s long-time friend, Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗).
The company handled donations for Ko’s presidential campaign, and earned revenue from Ko’s appearances, “concert events,” and sale of merchandise bearing the “kp” logo.
Muko is one of three private entities set up by Ko and his inner circle for receiving political contributions, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Yu Shu-hui (游淑慧) said.
TPP officials in a statement yesterday denied that Ko had misappropriated party funds.
After errors and missing account records were uncovered earlier this year, Ko instructed party members to double-check accounting reports and clarify the party’s finances to the public during a news conference in August, it said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS