Former Legislator Chen Lai Su-mei Indicted by Taoyuan Prosecutors for Assistant Subsidy Fraud
Former Taiwanese legislator Chen Lai Su-mei has been indicted by the Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office for embezzling assistant subsidies during her tenure. Seven relatives are also indicted as accomplices, with prosecutors seeking confiscation of over NT$2.4 million in illegal gains.
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- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 10:55
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 11:01 (6 min after Published)
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(Central News Agency reporter Ye Zhen, Taoyuan, April 21) The Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office has concluded its investigation into former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Chen Lai Su-mei's alleged fraud involving assistant subsidies. After searches and interrogations last year, Chen Lai Su-mei and seven relatives have recently been indicted on charges including corruption, with prosecutors seeking the confiscation of NT$2,402,337 in illicit gains.
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office announced today that after directing the Taipei City Investigation Division of the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau to handle the case of Chen Lai Su-mei's assistant subsidy fraud, it found that Chen Lai Su-mei and seven relatives are suspected of violating the Anti-Corruption Act (public servants exploiting official opportunities to defraud property) and the Criminal Code (causing public servants to make false entries). The investigation has recently concluded with indictments.
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office stated that after in-depth investigation and comparison of financial flows by the special task force, Chen Lai Su-mei and others' residences were searched on October 21 last year, and they were summoned for questioning. Chen Lai Su-mei was released on bail of NT$1 million after questioning by prosecutors.
Taoyuan prosecutors' investigation revealed that from February 1, 2016, to January 31, 2020, during her term as a legislator in the 9th Legislative Yuan, Chen Lai Su-mei, along with relatives surnamed Chen and others, defrauded and over-reported legislative assistant subsidies totaling NT$2,402,337.
The Taoyuan prosecutors' investigation found that relatives surnamed Chen and Wang were public assistants hired by Chen Lai Su-mei. Chen Lai Su-mei used the method of "low salary, high reporting," instructing uninformed assistants to prepare false appointment letters and overtime pay application rosters for Chen and Wang, thereby claiming public assistant salaries and overtime pay from the Legislative Yuan.
After the salaries and overtime pay were transferred to their accounts, Chen and Wang would withdraw the portion exceeding their actual salaries and hand it over to Chen Lai Su-mei. Chen Lai Su-mei then used this money for expenses such as office rent, utilities, and procurement of office supplies, thereby defrauding the subsidies.
Taoyuan prosecutors also discovered that Chen Lai Su-mei defrauded subsidies by falsely reporting phantom assistants. Relatives surnamed Luo and others, who were not public assistants, provided their identity documents, bank passbooks, and seals. Uninformed assistants then prepared fake appointment letters and other documents, falsely reporting them as public assistants to the Legislative Yuan.
After the salary payments for Luo and others were transferred to their accounts, Chen Lai Su-mei would either withdraw the money herself or instruct Luo and others to withdraw all the salaries, which Chen Lai Su-mei then used to pay for car loans or other daily expenses.
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office stated that it recommends the court consider Chen Lai Su-mei's long tenure as a public representative, receiving generous national salaries, yet knowingly breaking the law by defrauding assistant subsidies, which is unacceptable. The court should also consider her statements during the investigation when sentencing, and prosecutors request the confiscation of the NT$2,402,337 in criminal proceeds to thoroughly deprive the defendant of ill-gotten gains. (Editor: Li Xizhang) 1150421
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office announced today that after directing the Taipei City Investigation Division of the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau to handle the case of Chen Lai Su-mei's assistant subsidy fraud, it found that Chen Lai Su-mei and seven relatives are suspected of violating the Anti-Corruption Act (public servants exploiting official opportunities to defraud property) and the Criminal Code (causing public servants to make false entries). The investigation has recently concluded with indictments.
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office stated that after in-depth investigation and comparison of financial flows by the special task force, Chen Lai Su-mei and others' residences were searched on October 21 last year, and they were summoned for questioning. Chen Lai Su-mei was released on bail of NT$1 million after questioning by prosecutors.
Taoyuan prosecutors' investigation revealed that from February 1, 2016, to January 31, 2020, during her term as a legislator in the 9th Legislative Yuan, Chen Lai Su-mei, along with relatives surnamed Chen and others, defrauded and over-reported legislative assistant subsidies totaling NT$2,402,337.
The Taoyuan prosecutors' investigation found that relatives surnamed Chen and Wang were public assistants hired by Chen Lai Su-mei. Chen Lai Su-mei used the method of "low salary, high reporting," instructing uninformed assistants to prepare false appointment letters and overtime pay application rosters for Chen and Wang, thereby claiming public assistant salaries and overtime pay from the Legislative Yuan.
After the salaries and overtime pay were transferred to their accounts, Chen and Wang would withdraw the portion exceeding their actual salaries and hand it over to Chen Lai Su-mei. Chen Lai Su-mei then used this money for expenses such as office rent, utilities, and procurement of office supplies, thereby defrauding the subsidies.
Taoyuan prosecutors also discovered that Chen Lai Su-mei defrauded subsidies by falsely reporting phantom assistants. Relatives surnamed Luo and others, who were not public assistants, provided their identity documents, bank passbooks, and seals. Uninformed assistants then prepared fake appointment letters and other documents, falsely reporting them as public assistants to the Legislative Yuan.
After the salary payments for Luo and others were transferred to their accounts, Chen Lai Su-mei would either withdraw the money herself or instruct Luo and others to withdraw all the salaries, which Chen Lai Su-mei then used to pay for car loans or other daily expenses.
The Taoyuan District Prosecutors' Office stated that it recommends the court consider Chen Lai Su-mei's long tenure as a public representative, receiving generous national salaries, yet knowingly breaking the law by defrauding assistant subsidies, which is unacceptable. The court should also consider her statements during the investigation when sentencing, and prosecutors request the confiscation of the NT$2,402,337 in criminal proceeds to thoroughly deprive the defendant of ill-gotten gains. (Editor: Li Xizhang) 1150421