The Kaohsiung District Court on Thursday banned city councilor Huang Shao-ting (黃紹庭) from leaving the country for eight months amid an investigation into alleged corruption.
The court held a hearing at 3pm after the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office earlier in the day charged Huang with contraventions of the Criminal Code and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例).
Prosecutors charged 14 people, including Huang and his wife, with embezzlement-related offenses.
Photo: CNA
Huang, a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), is accused of embezzling about NT$14.55 million (US$448,285) over three terms as a Kaohsiung City councilor.
Since he took office on Dec. 25, 2014, Huang illegally claimed NT$13.09 million by falsely reporting how many assistants he employed, prosecutors said.
Councilor assistants’ salaries are subsidized by the government.
One of the people who falsely claimed to be one of Huang’s assistants was his wife, surnamed Lee (李), who lives in the US, prosecutors said.
Huang is also accused of pocketing NT$1.45 million by reporting to the city government higher salaries for assistants than he paid them.
Huang left Taiwan a day before prosecutors secured a search warrant. He returned to Taiwan a day later than scheduled.
In addition to the embezzlement allegations, Huang spread false information through the media, prosecutors said.
Huang has admitted guilt, returned the ill-gotten gains and named others involved in the embezzlement, they added.
In light of his cooperation, prosecutors said that they would ask for leniency on Huang’s behalf as long as he admits guilt at trial.
Prosecutors told the court that as Huang’s family resides abroad, he is a clear flight risk and could collude with others.
Huang’s lawyer said that he voluntarily returned to Taiwan, which showed that he was not a flight risk.
The court barred Huang from leaving the country for eight months, during which time he is subject to remote monitoring and has to check in with a case officer every Thursday and Sunday.
It set bail at NT$1.5 million and said he cannot use city council meetings as an excuse to not check in with his case officers.
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