Changhua County prosecutors are investigating whether a July banquet hosted by Changhua County Council Speaker Hsieh Tien-lin (謝典霖) involved bribery to support Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Hsihu Township (溪湖) mayoral candidate Chen Chen-fei (陳貞妃).
The Changhua District Prosecutors’ Office today directed the Changhua County office of the Investigation Bureau to look into the matter.
Prosecutors said they could not disclose how many people they had brought in for questioning and would make a statement later this afternoon.
Photo: Taipei Times
The banquet, held at the Changhua County Council, had more than 10 tables, with KMT Changhua County commissioner candidate Wei Ping-cheng (魏平政), Chen Chen-fei, several county councilors and other local politicians attending.
While none of those attending had registered as candidates at the time, several have since become candidates, prompting prosecutors to launch an investigation.
Executive Yuan Office Deputy Director Wu Yin-ning (吳音寧) questioned whether the banquet was paid for by Hsieh or with the council speaker’s discretionary funds.
Hsieh, his office and the Changhua County Council all denied the allegations, saying it was just a social gathering and that the meal was paid for by Hsieh’s office, with no council budget or special funds used.
People speculated that Hsieh held the banquet as part of a campaign strategy to support his cousin Chen for Hsihu Township mayor, as those attending included Hsihu village chiefs, elected representatives and former Hsihu Township mayor Chen Wen-han (陳文漢).
There was further speculation that Hsieh intended to team up with Chen Wen-han to run for council speaker and deputy speaker in the next term, Wu said.
The county council belongs to Changhua residents, and they are welcome to visit to learn more about public affairs, Hsieh said at the time, adding that it was unfair to link a simple local gathering to election activities.
Hsieh’s office said it paid for the banquet, held after local government figures visited the county council.
It was a social gathering, not an election event or part of a campaign strategy, it said, urging people to view the matter objectively.
No part of the council budget, speaker’s discretionary funds or other public funds were used to pay for the meal, the Changhua County Council said.
Wei said he was not aware of a specific purpose of the gathering and had attended to gain some exposure, urging people not to read too much into his attendance.
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