Taipei, April 24 (CNA) Prosecutors indicted Hsu Cheng-kai (許政鎧), an opposition Kuomintang (KMT) ward chief in New Taipei’s Yonghe District, and his aunt surnamed Chen (陳), on Wednesday for being commissioned by the Taiwan Affairs Office in Kunshan City, China, last year to invite 12 ward chiefs to visit China.
According to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office, Chen is the general manager of Rich Open Hardware Co., in Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province and a member of a local Taiwanese business association, with Hsu being her nephew.
Prosecutors found that Hsu and Chen were commissioned by the chairman and secretary of the Zhangpu Taiwanese Business Association under the direction of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Kunshan City in August and September last year to invite ward chiefs from New Taipei City and their relatives to travel to China.
The ward chiefs’ expenses were fully covered, while their relatives only had to pay for the airfare, approximately NT$17,000 (US$521.5), with accommodations and meals covered upon arrival.
Hsu invited a total of 12 ward chiefs and four of their family to visit Kunshan City, Changshu City, Wuxi City, and other locations in China from Nov. 21-24 last year.
The group was accompanied by a secretary from the Taiwan Affairs Office of Kunshan City surnamed Xie (謝), prosecutors said, adding that they also met and dined with nine Chinese officials, including a first-level inspector from the Taiwan Affairs Office of Jiangsu Province surnamed Wu (吳), deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Taizhou City in Jiangsu Province surnamed Yu (余), director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Kunshan City surnamed Wan (萬), and a bureau head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Nanjing City.
Prosecutors added that during the banquet, Chinese officials promoted concepts such as “the two sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one family” and “the KMT, keep up the good work.”
The investigation by the prosecutors concluded on Wednesday, and Chen and Hsu are being charged with alleged violations of the Anti-Infiltration Act, the Public officials Election And Recall Act, and the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act due to allegedly receiving funding from a source of infiltration for vote buying.
However, as Hsu and Chen confessed to their crimes and exhibited good behavior, the prosecutors requested the court to impose lenient sentences.
As for the 12 ward chiefs who accepted the discounted hospitality, the prosecutors decided not to pursue charges due to lack of evidence.