Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Chen E-jun (陳怡君) was indicted today for embezzling public funds used to pay for assistants.
The investigation concluded this morning, after prosecutors found that Chen and her assistant Chang Hui-lin (張惠霖) had claimed about NT$3.84 million (US$128,096) in fraudulent assistant fees.
The two used public funds for personal expenses such as paying rent and buying stocks, the Shilin District Prosecutors' Office said.
Photo: Taipei Times
The case has been transferred to Shilin District Court for trial, it added.
The court said it has received the case, which would be processed in due time, although a trial date has not yet been set.
Chen has served as a city councilor since Dec. 25, 2018, with Chang serving as her assistant and head of the city council research office since 2020, the indictment said.
The two allegedly forged employment contracts under the names of three of their relatives — Hung Yu-han (洪于涵), Ho Hsi (賀璽) and Chang Chia-jung (張家蓉) — to fraudulently claim assistant salaries, Lunar New Year bonuses and year-end bonuses, it said.
Chang Hui-lin allegedly transferred the funds from the three relatives’ accounts to that of an unsuspecting friend, surnamed Chu (朱), who was then instructed to issue checks to Chang Chia-jung, it said.
Chang Chia-jung then deposited the checks into bank accounts, used to pay Chen and Chang Hui-lin's rent and buy stocks, it added.
Chen, Chang Hui-lin and the three relatives have been indicted for embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds under the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例), and falsification of official documents under Article 214 of the Criminal Code, prosecutors said.
Chen and Chang Hui-lin have also been indicted for forgery under Article 217 of the Criminal Code and for money laundering under the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), they added.
All criminal proceeds have been confiscated, they said, adding that Chen and Chang Hui-lin confessed to the allegations and voluntarily returned all illicit gains during the course of the investigation.
Under the Anti-Corruption Act, confession and return of proceeds can allow for a reduced sentence, which may be further reduced if the defendant also confesses in court, they said.
The three relatives also confessed that they did not serve as assistants and were not entitled to the assistant salaries, prosecutors said.
Moreover, as they possess clean criminal records, exhibited good behavior and did not financially benefit from the fraud, prosecutors said they may recommend lenient or suspended sentences should they confess in court.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.