Prosecutors this morning searched the office of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Pingtung County chapter over allegations of falsified information on recall petitions using deceased and non-indigenous people’s signatures.
The Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office and the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau Pingtung County Field Office searched the office at 9am, seizing computers, recall petition documents and other evidence.
They reportedly plan to bring chapter secretary-general Hsiao Jung-ming (蕭榮明) and two other employees in for questioning.
Photo: Yeh Yung-chien, Taipei Times
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Saidhai Tahovecahe, who represents the Highland Aborigine constituency, said that recall petitions targeting her contained 1,521 invalid signatures, of which as many as 202 of the people were deceased and 140 belonged to non-indigenous people.
Reports have said that in recent days, Pingtung investigators questioned signatories who allegedly did not know that their personal information had been used.
The lawmaker on April 17 filed a complaint at the prosecutors’ office against Chang Fang-shuo (張芳碩), an assistant of indigenous KMT Legislator Sasuyu Ruljuwan and the lead petitioner of the recall case.
She accused Chang of forging documents and contravening the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選罷法).
Legislator Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉), who also serves as chair of the party’s Pingtung County chapter, said he is in Taipei, but had been notified of the situation and is currently looking into it.
Additional reporting by CNA
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
RSS