Taipei, April 15 (CNA) Twenty Taiwanese suspects sent back from Malaysia for their alleged involvement in telecommunications fraud scams in that country were set free late Wednesday after they arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, according to the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).

The CIB said in a press release that after discussions with Taichung district prosecutors, it was decided that the suspects will only be notified in writing that they are embroiled in fraud schemes and were allowed to go home for "lack of solid evidence of their criminal activities."

Most of the suspects are residents of central Taiwan's Taichung City.

The CIB said it will ask mainland authorities to provide information about the illegal activities of these suspects in order to conduct a further investigation into their offenses.

The repatriation of the suspects came two days after Kenya sent 45 Taiwanese suspects to China for trial for carrying out fraud against Chinese people in the mainland. Taiwan has strongly protested this move and demanded that China send these people back to Taiwan and respect its jurisdiction over them.

Taiwanese officials had said China also tried to convince the Malaysian authorities to deport the 20 Taiwanese arrested in Malaysia to the mainland, instead of Taiwan. Another 32 remained in Malaysia and Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said it was also working to secure their deportation to Taiwan.

(By Flor Wang)
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