Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday denied that his in-laws had funded a publicity company, which has been accused of surveilling political opponents.
Huang said that he has filed two lawsuits against Mirror Media and its reporters, saying that it had published false reports about him and Kai Ssu International, which has been accused of unlawfully following and photographing politicians and government officials.
Chinese-language media have reported that Kai Ssu’s financial backers include former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Chen Chien-ping (陳建平) and Huang An-chieh (黃安捷), the owner of a technology firm, as well as Heng Ho Construction Co, a firm owned by Huang Kuo-chang’s father-in-law, Kao Hsi-chih (高熙治).
Photo: Wang Yi-song, Taipei Times
Huang Kuo-chang did not elaborate on the details of his lawsuits, saying only that Mirror Media was attempting to smear his reputation.
Chen and Accton Technology founder Huang An-chieh in 2021 each gave about NT$10 million (US$325,404) to Kai Ssu, Mirror Media reported.
Kuan Chih-yu (關智宇), the general manager of True Number Survey Research, a polling firm affiliated with the TPP, “invested” about NT$1 million in Kai Ssu, while another financial backer was Huang Kuo-chang’s sister-in-law Kao Hui (高翬), who is an executive at Heng Ho Construction, Mirror Media reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Funding for two surveillance teams to follow targets around the clock would cost at least NT$80 million per year, it reported, citing experts and media insiders.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Yi-chuan (王義川), who was allegedly tracked and photographed by a surveillance team, earlier this month filed a judicial complaint against Huang Kuo-chang and asked prosecutors to determine whether such activity contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) or the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法).
Since then, other politicians and media figures also sought investigations after more photos, allegedly taken by surveillance teams, surfaced of National Security Council personnel affiliated with the Presidential Office, police officials, top officials in the Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan, DPP lawmakers, ministers and other top government officials.
Meanwhile, people who purchased residential units built by Heng Ho Construction told reporters that they had financial disputes with the firm.
The buyers alleged that building codes had been contravened by the construction company, including over the use of inferior or flammable material, as well as structures blocking fire escapes, reports said.
The buyers refused to move in, prompting Heng Ho Construction to threaten to retain a NT$4 million deposit, leading to litigation, reports said.
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
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