Judicial authorities searched the offices of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) local chapters in New Taipei City, and listed 10 party executives and staff as suspects in their probes into fraud and forgery relating to petition campaigns to recall four Democratic Progressive Party legislators.
After being questioned by prosecutors, six KMT executives and staff were yesterday released on bail of NT$50,000 to NT$100,000, while the rest were freed without bail.
Law enforcement authorities on Thursday searched 16 locations, including KMT chapters in the city’s Shulin (樹林), Tucheng (土城) and Sansia (三峽) districts, summoning office directors and secretarial staff for questioning.
Photo: CNA
New Taipei City prosecutors in a news release said the investigations found evidence of fraud and forgery, including mass copying of names of people from KMT member lists without the consent of the owners and forged signatures on petitions that appear to have been written by a handful of people, in contravention of rules governing recalls and personal privacy.
New Taipei City KMT executives allegedly instructed staff and volunteers to go to party offices during the Lunar New Year holiday in February to copy names from KMT member lists, with each person receiving a “red envelope” containing NT$1,000, the release said.
Prosecutors last month also searched KMT chapters in the city’s Banciao (板橋) and Sanchong (三重) districts, and have detained KMT Banciao official Chen Cheng-jung (陳貞容) since April 29.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Meanwhile, Yilan County prosecutors investigating similar allegations on Thursday listed 19 KMT members as suspects, with three being placed in detention, while the head of the KMT chapter in Yilan County, Lin Ming-chang (林明昌), was released on NT$800,000 bail.
In other developments, civic groups yesterday submitted to the local election commission in Keelung 37,533 petitions to recall KMT Legislator Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥). The total number of signatures collected was 23 percent higher than the minimum required for the second-phase threshold.
Chen Ching-yi (陳青逸), head of the campaign to recall Lin, said the lawmaker had done nothing in the legislature but follow the instructions of KMT leaders to the detriment of the public, and had denigrated people by branding all recall campaign volunteers as attention-seeking “marginalized people.”
Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) on Wednesday said decommissioned coast guard vessels were given to the Philippines to enhance regional rescue capacity and would not affect Taiwanese fishers’ rights and benefits. Kuan made the remarks after confirmation on Tuesday that a 500-tonne Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol and rescue vessel would be given to the Philippine Coast Guard. The donation ceremony was reportedly done in Manila, but whether the vessel — previously numbered “CG123” and named Kinmen (金門) — has been handed over has yet to be confirmed. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday criticized the donation for “taking
The Ministry of Finance today announced the winning numbers for the July-August uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$314,663) special prize is 89996565, while the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 91098182. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 54348835, 44991397 and 06595111. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits qualify for the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers are eligible for the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
The National Police Agency’s Third Special Police Corps yesterday said that from May to July, it intercepted five smuggling operations from China, seizing more than 70,000 counterfeit Beyblades with an estimated infringement value of NT$34.45 million (US$1.08 million). It added that any bootleg unit that reached the local market could present hidden health hazards to players. Beyblades, a line of spinning toy tops used in competitive gaming and developed in Japan by toy company Takara Tomy, have become popular in Taiwan, making them a target for fraudsters. The Third Special Police Corps, dedicated to safeguarding maritime borders and trade lines,
Five customers who made purchases at 7-Eleven stores across Taiwan won the top NT$10 million (US$313,716) special prize in the July-August uniform invoice lottery, including one who spent just NT$27 on photocopying, the convenience store chain said today. The five special prize winners made their purchases at stores in Taoyuan, Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, 7-Eleven operator President Chain Store Corp said. The five winning purchases included NT$29 spent on snacks at a store in Taoyuan's Zhongli District (中壢), NT$27 on photocopying at a store in Taipei's Zhongzheng District (中正), NT$139 on City Cafe coffee and daily necessities at a store in Taipei's
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