Taiwan Legislator Kao Chin Su-mei Indicted for Corruption, Unauthorized Rapid Test Imports

(Central News Agency, Taipei, June 8) Legislator Kao Chin Su-mei has been indicted by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office (TDPO) on charges of corruption, including allegedly embezzling over NT$7.87 million in assistant salaries and illegally importing unauthorized COVID-19 rapid test kits from China. The TDPO indicted Kao and 23 others on June 8, and recommended a heavy sentence of at least 12 years and 6 months in prison, citing her poor attitude after the crime.

Separately, Kao's congressional office director, Chang Chun-chieh, was indicted for allegedly defrauding government agencies and state-owned enterprises of over NT$9.33 million in subsidies, as well as embezzling publicly-funded assistant subsidies, money laundering, violating the Medical Devices Act, and the Company Act. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of at least 16 years. Chang's second daughter, Yun Ya-shun, was not indicted due to insufficient evidence for charges related to the Company Act and money laundering.

The TDPO indicted Kao Chin Su-mei, Chang Chun-chieh, Chang's eldest daughter Chang Chia-chi, Kao's sister Kao Chin Chiu-yen, Kao's brother Kao Chin Chien-hua, Kao Chin Chien-hua's ex-wife Liu Pei-ying, Pingtung County Councilor Yueh Chiu-nu, Taitung County Councilor Chen Cheng-tsung, Hualien County Councilors Chien Chih-lung and Cheng Mei-lien, and others, on charges including embezzlement through official position under the Anti-Corruption Act, criminal fraud, and unauthorized import of medical devices with intent to supply under the Medical Devices Act.

Additionally, the cases of Chou Chen Wen-pin, chairman of the Indigenous Multi-Ethnic Cultural Exchange Association, and Chang Chih-chieh, head of the Original Sound Reproduction Music Studio, who are suspected of fraudulently obtaining subsidies, have been transferred to the Pingtung District Court for consolidated trial.

According to a TDPO press release, the criminal facts of the case include four main parts: "embezzlement of legislative assistant salaries and childcare subsidies," "false capital declaration for Eleven Audio-Visual Company," "fraud and money laundering using the Taiwan Indigenous Multi-Ethnic Cultural Exchange Association," and "misappropriation of imported personal-use COVID-19 test kits."

The indictment states that Kao Chin Su-mei, knowing that Liu Pei-ying and Chang Chia-chi were not actually working as publicly-funded assistants, declared them as such and embezzled NT$7,714,703. Additionally, Kao helped office director Chen Chih-tang embezzle NT$158,040 in childcare subsidies, totaling NT$7,872,743.

Furthermore, Chang Chun-chieh took over the Multi-Ethnic Association founded by Kao. Using opportunities from organizing indigenous archery competitions and song concerts commissioned to Chang Chih-chieh (2015-2017) and multimedia company owner Chen Cheng-shun (2018), he defrauded government agencies and state-owned enterprises of NT$9,335,000 in subsidies and created breaks in the money trail. Chang was also involved in the false capital declaration for Eleven Audio-Visual Company.

According to the indictment, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kao Chin Su-mei authorized Chang Chun-chieh to instruct councilors Yueh Chiu-nu, Chen Cheng-tsung, Chien Chih-lung, and Cheng Mei-lien to collect individuals willing to import rapid test kits from abroad. They were promised that for every 100 kits imported per person, they could keep a portion, with the remainder to be managed by Kao's team.

Kao's assistants compiled the list of individuals and emailed it to Xiamen Botai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in China. Between May and June 2022, they imported 74,400 unauthorized rapid test kits into Taiwan, provided free of charge.

Regarding sentencing, prosecutors asked the court to consider that Kao has served as a legislator for over 20 years. For personal gain, she used methods like reporting fictitious personnel and underreporting salaries to embezzle over NT$7.87 million in assistant subsidies, salaries, overtime pay, and year-end bonuses over a long period. This severely damaged national legal interests and completely destroyed public trust in the representative system and the integrity of civil servants.

Additionally, Kao undermined the national medical device management system and, after the crime, shirked responsibility and made false excuses. Prosecutors recommended a heavy sentence of at least 12 years and 6 months.

The TDPO stated that Chang Chun-chieh was the core figure in the case. He only confessed to the false capital declaration and Medical Devices Act violations and has not yet returned the criminal proceeds. Prosecutors recommended a heavy sentence of at least 16 years. Chang, who is in custody, is expected to be transferred to the Taipei District Court on June 9.

According to the press release, the Taipei District Court ordered the seizure of NT$16,022,790 from Chang Chun-chieh's accounts during the investigation. Regarding the confiscation of criminal proceeds, Kao Chin Su-mei's criminal proceeds amount to NT$5,853,685; Chang Chun-chieh's amount to NT$15,180,923; of which NT$5,307,768 is subject to joint confiscation from Kao and Chang. Prosecutors have requested the court to confiscate the criminal proceeds of Kao, Chang, and other defendants. (Editor: Hsiao Po-wen) 1150608