Changhua prosecutors have indicted two men and two women for allegedly buying signatures to support Foxconn founder Terry Gou’s (郭台銘) efforts to get on the ballot in January’s presidential election.
The four were charged with contravening the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法) during Gou’s independent campaign for endorsement, as he was not affiliated with any major political party.
Gou needed at least 289,677 signatures to qualify for the presidential race, the Central Election Commission said.
Photo: Chen Kuan-bei, Taipei Times
The accused include a 60-year-old man surnamed Huang (黃), a Changhua County Council secretary; a 55-year-old man surnamed Chang (張), president of a local farmers’ association; Chang’s wife, surnamed Tsai (蔡); and a female staff member of the association’s Tsao Gang branch, surnamed Chen (陳).
Huang texted Chang on Sept. 12 last year, informing him that Gou’s endorsement campaign would begin on Sept. 19 and offering payment for every 100 signatures collected, asking for Chang’s assistance, with Chang agreeing to help, the indictment said.
Chang, Tsai and Chen allegedly collected 10 signatures and paid between NT$300 and NT$350 per signature, prosecutors said.
Following a tip-off, police launched an investigation and, in November of the same year, seized the mobile phone Chang used to coordinate with Chen on the alleged signature buying, they added.
Prosecutors on Tuesday said that the case is being treated as a collective offense involving promises of “things of value” in exchange for signatures.
The Changhua County Council in a statement said it regretted Huang’s indictment, adding that it respects the judicial system as an independent and impartial body, and is committed to further educating its personnel.
Since January, more than 20 people have been indicted in connection with signature buying for Gou, including Pingtung County Council Speaker Chou Tien-lun (周典論).
In late August, the Pingtung District Court sentenced Chou to four years in prison and revoked his civil rights for spending NT$5 million (US$153,407) on signature buying. Chou has appealed the ruling.
Gou named actress Tammy Lai (賴佩霞), known for her role in the Netflix political drama Wave Makers, as his running mate in mid-September, and officially qualified for the presidential election in November with 902,389 valid signatures. However, he withdrew from the race on Nov. 24.
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