Former Taoyuan city councilor Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) was sentenced to three years in prison today for fraudulently claiming more than NT$14.55 million (US$460,910) in assistant fees over two decades.
The Taoyuan District Court convicted Wu on three counts of exploiting his position to obtain public funds under the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例), with all ill-gotten gains to be confiscated.
It also deprived Wu of his civil rights for four years.
Photo: Taipei Times
The sentence cannot be commuted to a fine, but may be appealed.
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office accused Wu of using the IDs and bank information of several acquaintances to file expense claims for nonexistent employees from 2002 to 2022.
He collected their salaries and bonuses during his time as a Taoyuan County councilor from 2002 to 2009 and as a Taoyuan city councilor following the municipality's upgrade in 2014, the office said.
Wu's former assistant, a 51-year-old woman surnamed Fan Chiang (范姜), colluded with him to claim the fraudulent expenses, prosecutors said.
Fan Chiang was sentenced today on three counts under the Anti-Corruption Act to two years in prison, suspended for four years, and a three-year deprivation of civil rights.
She was additionally ordered to pay NT$200,000 to the public treasury.
The six “phantom assistants” were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from one year to one year and eight months, suspended for three years.
They must each pay fines ranging from NT$100,000 to NT$180,000 to the public treasury, and their civil rights have been suspended for two years.
Wu and his seven coconspirators pleaded guilty on all charges and provided evidence.
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