Prosecutors today requested the detention of six people accused of using fraudulent signatures on recall petition documents supporting a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-backed campaigns to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers in New Taipei City.
The New Taipei District Prosecutors' Office said it launched the investigation after receiving reports of falsified personal information on recall petitions targeting DPP legislators Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧), Wu Chi-ming (吳琪銘), Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) and Lee Kuen-cheng (李坤城).
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
Prosecutors have filed a motion with a local court to detain the six people and hold them incommunicado on suspicion of criminal forgery and contraventions of the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法), the office said.
Those named include Hsieh Ching-jen (謝慶認), director of the KMT's Banciao District (板橋) office, Tsai Kan-tzu (蔡甘子), the KMT party secretary for the district, and Lo Ta-yu (羅大宇), executive director of the KMT's Sanchong District (三重) office.
Also facing detention are Ying Ta-hua (應大華), a KMT volunteer, Tan Chen-yao (譚鎮耀), chief petitioner in the recall effort against Su Chiao-hui, and Wang Yu-jen (王昱人), a campaign organizer.
The office also said it questioned 20 people yesterday and conducted coordinated raids at 30 locations, including the suspects' homes, offices and party branches.
Among those brought in for questioning were Hsu Wei-hao (徐偉豪), who led the recall drive against Chang Hung-lu, and Li Ching-hsiang (李清祥), who spearheaded the effort against Wu Chi-ming.
Others included Tsai Cheng-jui (蔡承睿), the designated replacement leader in the recall of u Chiao-hui, and Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led the recall vote petition drive against Lee Kuen-cheng.
The investigation stems from what the office said was an analysis of data obtained from the Central Election Commission and the New Taipei Election Commission that identified irregularities in joint-signature petitions.
Prosecutors said the evidence suggests contraventions of both the Criminal Code and the Personal Data Protection Act.
The searches yesterday happened the same day six activists suspected of similar crimes were released on bail by Taipei prosecutors over KMT-backed campaigns to remove DPP legislators Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶).
Taiwan is witnessing an unprecedented surge in recall vote campaigns, with both DPP and KMT supporters seeking to oust rival lawmakers.
Under Taiwanese election law, a public recall vote is held if campaigners gather signatures from 1 percent of district voters in the first round and 10 percent in the second of the petitioning process.
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