Key suspect in Taiyen Green Energy fraud probe gives himself up

Taipei, Nov. 25 (CNA) A former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker wanted in connection with suspected fraud at a state-linked green energy enterprise in Tainan surrendered himself to prosecutors Monday, three weeks after a warrant for his arrest was issued.

Chen Chi-yu (陳啓昱), who was chairman of Taiyen Green Energy Co. from 2016 to 2021 and a member of the Legislative Yuan from 2005 to 2010, was questioned by investigators after turning up at the Tainan District Prosecutors Office with his lawyer on Monday morning.

Chen is suspected of violating the Securities and Exchange Act for breach of trust offenses and the Criminal Code for knowingly causing a public servant to publish an official document containing false information.

Prosecutors filed a motion with a local district court to detain Chen and hold him incommunicado according to the law to prevent him from potentially fleeing the country, destroying evidence or colluding with others. The court granted the request on Monday evening, meaning Chen may be detained for two months while prosecutors continue their investigation.

In October, the Tainan District Prosecutors Office coordinated a team including investigators from the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau to search 32 sites -- including Taiyen Green Energy's offices in the city's Gueiren District -- for evidence of suspected fraud.

On Oct. 23, prosecutors sought to detain Chen along with four other suspects, but the Tainan District Court initially refused this request.

After prosecutors successfully appealed the district court's decision at the Taiwan High Court, another detention hearing was scheduled for Nov. 1.

Chen failed to appear at the hearing, however, and a warrant for his arrest was issued on Nov. 4.

Meanwhile, the four other suspects wanted in connection to the case are all already being held in investigative detention.

They are Su Kun-huang (蘇坤煌), Taiyen Green Energy's former general manager; a man surnamed Kuo (郭), the company's former vice general manager; and individuals with legal responsibility for Great Glow Technology Co. Ltd., surnamed Su (蘇), and Chao Yang Development Co., surnamed Tai (戴).

Taiyen Green Energy, a subsidiary of Taiyen Biotech Co. Ltd., was established in April 2017 "in response to the government's promotion of energy transition," according to the company's website.

Taiyen Biotech's largest shareholder is the Ministry of Economic Affairs, which holds 38.88 percent of the company's shares, the company's website said.