Keelung ward chief indicted for arranging subsidized China trip
ROC Central News Agency
01/09/2024 07:52 PM
Taipei, Jan. 9 (CNA) Prosecutors on Tuesday indicted a ward chief in Keelung for his alleged involvement in organizing a trip to Shandong Province "disproportionately subsidized" by the Chinese government.
According to the Keelung District Prosecutors Office, the ward chief, surnamed Wu (吳), organized and led a tour group of 33 people, including Wu as well as several other Keelung ward chiefs and their relatives, to China's Shandong Province from Nov. 21-26, 2023.
The trip, which came at the request of the Yantai People's Government Taiwan Affairs Office, cost NT$5,500 (US$177) per person, with all other expenses in China, including transportation, food and accommodation, covered by their hosts, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors added that the Yantai Office gave each trip participant NT$4,300 for "flight reimbursement" plus 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 made statements including "both sides of the Strait belong to one family," "support the 1992 consensus" and "don't support the party that advocates for Taiwan independence."
The Chinese officials also suggested that the visitors should vote for a "certain political party" in Taiwan's upcoming Jan. 13 presidential and legislative elections, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors allege that Wu's actions violated the Anti-Infiltration Act.
In addition, prosecutors allege that a dinner hosted by Wu at a Keelung hotel on Oct. 8, 2023 was part of a quid-quo-pro arrangement under which attendees were expected to vote for a legislative candidate who made an appearance at the event.
Prosecutors said that Wu invited over 30 people, including several Keelung ward chiefs, to the event, which was billed as his son's birthday party.
According to prosecutors, Wu asked the legislative candidate, who did not know about the plot, to show up and seek support from the guests, which violated the Public Officials Election And Recall Act.
Meanwhile, a man, surnamed Wang (王), was indicted by the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office for violations of the same laws on Monday.
Wang, who runs a travel agency in Kaohsiung, was found to have organized and led a tour group to Beijing in July 2023, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors allege that Wang, who is also the chairman of a shopping district development association in Kaohsiung, arranged the six-day trip at the behest of the Fengtai People's Government Taiwan Affairs Office, which requested it be given the final say on participants and that ward chiefs be included in the group.
According to prosecutors, the tour group consisted of 17 people, including three Kaohsiung ward chiefs, with all expenses, excluding flight tickets, covered by the Fengtai Office.
Prosecutors said that the group was accompanied by officials from the Fengtai Office at all times during the trip.
Prosecutors allege that the Chinese officials made statements such as "both sides of the Strait belong to one family" and "Let's make a certain party step down."
Prosecutors searched three sites, including the travel agency run by Wang, on Dec. 8, 2023, and he was released on bail of NT$100,000 the same day after questioning.
Since there were few previous cases involving group tours to China, prosecutors said Wang might have committed the offense due to being unfamiliar with the law.
Prosecutors added that as Wang had immediately admitted to wrongdoing upon being questioned, they had asked the Kaohsiung District court to give him a lenient sentence.
(By Wang Chao-yu, Hung Hsueh-kuang and Bernadette Hsiao)
Enditem/ASG
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