Prosecutors yesterday launched an investigation into the death of cryptocurrency expert Miffy Chen (陳梅慧), who died in a car crash on Wednesday under what some consider to be suspicious circumstances following her work with law enforcement to track down NT$9.3 billion (US$286.97 million) in alleged illegal proceeds.
Prosecutor-General Hsing Tai-chao (邢泰釗) tasked the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office with investigating the incident following requests from the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) and other agencies with which she worked to crack several prominent cases involving financial fraud and money laundering.
Chen was killed in a six-car pileup near Hsinchu in the northbound lanes of Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1) early on Wednesday, after she and her boyfriend, a CIB detective surnamed Hsieh (謝), departed after a discussion with Taichung prosecutors over a criminal case the two were working on.
Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei Times
Chen had advised the CIB, the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) and police agencies on 60 fraud cases this year, leading to the confiscation of NT$9.3 billion in alleged illegal proceeds, Taoyuan City Councilor Huang Ching-ping (黃敬平) said yesterday.
“We began to hear criminal groups ask about Chen’s background and personal information, and police reminded her about personal safety,” Huang said. “Hsieh, as a CIB officer, protected her when she traveled to and from work.”
Taoyuan City Councilor Huang Chiung-hui (黃瓊慧) said that Chen has also assisted in investigations into an online forum for sharing sexually explicit videos.
She also worked on a case involving online casino operator Kuo Che-min (郭哲敏), who ran the private club 88 Lounge and was indicted in a case involving NT$21.7 billion of laundered money, Huang Chiung-hui said, adding that Kuo was released last month after posting bail of NT$100 million.
Chen is a well-known figure in the industry, recognized as the top investigator of blockchain financial crimes.
She worked with XREX, Taiwan’s first registered cryptocurrency trading platform, which launched in 2018, as a financial crime investigator.
She also worked with the Judicial Reform Foundation and served as secretary on the presidential panel of the Judicial Reform Committee.
CIB Deputy Commissioner Huang Jen-tsung (黃壬聰) on Thursday said that most illegal cryptocurrency proceeds confiscated in criminal cases in the past few years were partly thanks to Chen.
“Victims of such scams are most concerned about getting their money back,” he said.
A task force for confiscating cryptocurrency was set up in April to specifically target digital wallets and online deposit safes to check into the origins and transactions, enable the freezing of funds and apply for confiscation, Huang Jen-tsung said, lauding Chen for volunteering her time to help with the work for the good of society.
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
EVA Airways, one of the leading international carriers in Taiwan, yesterday said that it was investigating reports that a cabin crew manager had ignored the condition of a sick flight attendant, who died on Saturday. The airline made the statement in response to a post circulating on social media that said that the flight attendant on an outbound flight was feeling sick and notified the cabin crew manager. Although the flight attendant grew increasingly ill on the return flight, the manager did not contact Medlink — a system that connects the aircraft to doctors on the ground for treatment advice during medical
RSS