Separate investigations into two Chinese semiconductor companies, Ark Semi (艾科微電子) and Kimtigo (金泰克半導體), found they used third-party investments and poached local tech talent to illegally establish research and development (R&D) centers in Taiwan, the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office said today.
Searches of the companies’ offices and employee residences on Wednesday and yesterday were led by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau in Taipei, Taichung and Hsinchu.
The companies were found to have seriously impacted Taiwan’s semiconductor industry by leveraging Taiwanese expertise to advance Chinese enterprises, the office said.
Photo courtesy of the Investigation Bureau
Six suspects and seven witnesses were summoned for questioning, while officials seized internal documents, laptops and mobile phones as evidence, it said.
Five suspects were found to have contravened laws including Article 93-2 of the Act Governing the Relations Between the People of Taiwan and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), it said.
Chinese companies are prohibited from conducting operations in Taiwan without approval from the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Department of Investment Review to protect domestic industrial competitiveness and economic interests, it said.
The five suspects were released on bail ranging from NT$300,000 to NT$400,000, it added.
Searches of Ark Semi’s Taiwan offices and employee residences were conducted in Taipei’s Nangang District (南崗) and Hsinchu County and City on Wednesday, headed by Hsinchu prosecutor Wang Yuan-chih (王遠志), it said.
Four suspects and two witnesses were brought in for questioning, with three suspects released on bail, it said.
Separate searches into Kimtigo offices and employee residences were conducted yesterday in Taichung and Hsinchu, led by prosecutor Liao Chi-tsun (廖啟村), it added.
Two suspects and five witnesses were summoned for questioning, with the two suspects deemed to have committed serious offenses and released on bail of NT$300,000 each, it said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
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
RSS