The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday confirmed the detention of a Taiwanese in Hong Kong, a member of a delegation "led by" opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) to the territory last month.
The detained person, a travel industry operator from Hualien County, was a member of a delegation organized by the county government — with Fu and Hualien County County Commissioner Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚) in attendance — to attend a travel expo in Hong Kong last month, the MAC said.
The individual was arrested upon arriving in Hong Kong and remained in detention as of yesterday, the MAC added.
Photo courtesy of Legislator Fu Kun-chi's office via CNA
The case involves money laundering allegations and no national security-related accusations have been made, MAC Minister Chiu Chiu-cheng (邱垂正) said today, as he called for the Hong Kong government to provide more information on the case.
The council said that after receiving a report of the arrest, its Office of Hong Kong Affairs in the territory immediately provided necessary assistance to the person.
The detention first came to light when Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) revealed it during an interview on an online show that aired early yesterday, during which he said the delegation was "led by" Fu.
Chinese-language Mirror Media reported the same day that the detained person, a woman surnamed Chen (陳), is accused of involvement in a money laundering case in Hong Kong 25 years ago.
Last night, Fu wrote in a Facebook post that he "had never known" the detained person, who he said is a senior staff member at the Shin Kong Chao Feng Resort Ranch.
"As for the case that occurred in Hong Kong 25 years ago, no one knows the details," Fu said, adding that the case is "entirely unrelated" to the person’s current work in the tourism industry in Hualien County.
The Hualien County Government was invited to form a delegation to attend the travel expo held on Feb. 20 in Hong Kong, and local tourism operators in Hualien could join at their own expense, Fu said .
"Fu Kun-chi was neither a member of the delegation nor its leader," Fu said, adding that he traveled to Hong Kong and attended the event at his own expense "to help promote Hualien tourism."
The case involving the detained individual is being handled by the West Kowloon Court, with a first hearing held on Sunday and a bail hearing scheduled for tomorrow, the Chinese-language United Daily News quoted Hualien County Councilor Fu Kuo-yuan (傅國淵) as saying.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
RSS