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Keelung ward chief returned to custody over China trip case

ROC Central News Agency

12/29/2023 10:30 PM

Taipei, Dec. 29 (CNA) A ward chief in Keelung was returned to custody on Friday after prosecutors appealed to have his bail overturned over his alleged involvement in organizing a recent "disproportionately subsidized" trip to China.

The detention was necessary because the ward chief, identified by his last name Wu (吳), could potentially flee the country, considering the multiple trips he has gone on since June, according to the Keelung District Prosecutors Office.

Furthermore, there is a risk that Wu could collude to destroy evidence, as he deliberately deleted the phone records of his WeChat conversations with Chinese officials, prosecutors said.

The ward chief is believed to have organized and led a tour group to Shandong Province from Nov. 21-26 with the help of another individual surnamed Kuo (郭).

The visit, which came at the request of the Yantai People's Government Taiwan Affairs Office, comprised 33 people that included Wu, several Keelung ward chiefs and their relatives.

The trip cost NT$5,500 (US$179) per person, while all other expenses in China, including transportation, food and accommodation were covered by their hosts, prosecutors said, indicating that each individual was also reimbursed 1,000 Chinese yuan at the end of the trip.

During their time in Shandong, prosecutors said the visitors also met with the head and deputy chief of the Yantai office, who suggested they should vote for a "certain political party" in Taiwan's upcoming Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections.

Raids were carried out at five different locations in Keelung on Dec, 13, during which 29 people, including Wu and Kuo, were questioned over their involvement in the case.

After questioning, a request to have Wu detained was later granted by the Keelung District Court the following day, while Kuo was released on NT$100,000 bail.

However, Wu challenged his detention at the Taiwan High Court, which returned the case back to the district court for reconsideration. On Dec. 23, the district amended its decision allowing Wu to be released on NT$500,000 bail.

On Wednesday, prosecutors filed an appeal with the high court regarding Wu's bail release, which was approved with the case returned to the district court. On Friday, the Keelung district court ordered that the released suspect be returned to custody as prosecutors continue to investigate the case.

Elsewhere, separate incidences involving multiple ward chiefs in Taichung as well as local officials from Hsinchu County who allegedly also accepted free trips to China are currently also under investigation by prosecutors. According to authorities, the cases are all related to Taiwan's upcoming elections and alleged election interference by China.

However, such claims have been disputed by the main opposition Kuomintang who have called the cases a blatant attempt by the government to use the justice system to interfere in the ongoing presidential election.

In both places, suspects numbering in the dozens have been called in for questioning by prosecutors. Several of them, which included a Hsinchu county councilor from the KMT, were required to post bail in order to be released.

(By Wang Chao-yu, Su Mu-chuen, Kuo Hsuan-wen and Ko Lin)

Enditem/AW