Taipei City Council Deputy Speaker Yeh Lin-chuan (葉林傳) today was indicted in a corruption scandal for allegedly using proxies to run a gambling business and pushing through related legal amendments for profit.
Yeh was accused of running the adults-only Hsin Hsin gaming arcade (欣欣電子遊藝場) in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) registered under a businessperson surnamed Chi (紀).
He allegedly exploited the Taipei City Office of Commerce’s proposed amendments to Article 10 of the Taipei City Electronic Game Management and Autonomy Regulations (台北市電子遊戲場業設置管理自治條例) to grant his business legal status, prosecutors said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Yeh allegedly ensured that his gaming center would benefit by inserting a “retroactive exemption clause” so it could still qualify as a restricted electronic gaming arcade under the new amendments, they said.
His actions allegedly earned Hsin Hsin an additional NT$3.14 million (US$102,801), prosecutors said.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said today that it indicted Yeh and six others for “profiteering” in contravention of the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) and Article 268 of the Criminal Code (刑法) that prohibits establishing a place of gambling.
Contraventions of Article 268 are subject to a fine of up to NT$90,000.
The office said it is seeking a heavy sentence, citing Yeh’s evasiveness and lack of remorse following the crime.
Hsin Hsin’s registered owners Lin Yi-hung (林奕宏) and Chi Wen-chi (紀文奇) were among those indicted, it said.
Lin and 24 others have also been indicted for operating an illegal prostitution business and acting as a third party to arrange for others to commit sexual acts for profit, it added.
They are subject to prison sentences of up to five years and additional fines of up to NT$100,000 under this charge, the office said.
Last month, prosecutors searched seventeen locations, including the offices and residences of Yeh and six others connected to the corruption case, summoning 12 defendants and three witnesses for questioning.
Yeh was then released on bail of NT$5 million, barred from leaving the country or traveling by sea and ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Eleven other suspects and the witnesses were also released either on bail or without restrictions after giving statements.
Yeh has not responded to requests for comment today, while his office refused to comment saying it has not yet received the relevant documents.
Additional reporting by Kan Meng-lin
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