Hsu Chih-yu (許芷瑜), who was the secretary of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), has been listed as a wanted fugitive by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) in connection with Ko's corruption and bribery case.
Ko faces a jail sentence of up to 28.5 years after being indicted in December last year on bribery charges and other forms of corruption, in connection with real estate dealings during his second term as Taipei mayor from 2018-2022.
Hsu, who also goes by the nickname “Orange” (橘子), served as Ko’s personal secretary during his second term as mayor from 2018 to 2022.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau
Hsu left for Japan in late August, just before the corruption probe involving the former Taipei mayor started, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said, alleging Ko had handed over illegal funds to Hsu.
She was initially listed as a witness and after going to Japan, was reportedly in contact with the agency, which asked her to report for questioning as soon as she returns to Taiwan.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office issued an international wanted bulletin in October last year for the arrest of Hsu, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it had taken steps to cancel Hsu’s passport, to prevent her from fleeing to other countries.
According to its website, the MJIB said Hsu fled to Japan, possibly then Australia last year.
Hsu is accused of crimes including contravening the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例), the MJIB’s fugitive online query system showed.
The MJIB said it would continue to investigate her whereabouts and seek legal assistance from countries where Hsu might have fled to.
It called for the public to provide information on Hsu’s whereabouts and said a bounty would be offered if Hsu is apprehended.
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