Keelung mayor cleared in mall 'robbery' probe due to lack of evidence

Taipei, Feb. 19 (CNA) The Keelung District Prosecutors Office said on Wednesday that there was insufficient evidence to indict Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) and 11 others for "aggravated robbery" and other offenses related to a dispute over ownership of a mall in 2024.

Ju Fu Fashion Development Co. -- commonly known by its brand name "NET" -- had brought the case against Hsieh and other officials in the city government, accusing them of trespassing without cause, aggravated robbery, criminal damage and other crimes, according to a three-page prosecutors' statement.

NET alleged that on Feb. 1 last year, Hsieh -- along with police and city transport department officials including Lin Chao-che (林詔徹), Wang Tsun-hung (王圳宏), and Chang Yi-cheng (張以正) -- illegally broke into Keelung E-Square, a mall and parking complex in the northern Taiwanese city's central Ren-ai District.

NET contended that a contract it signed in 2017 with developer Lucky Parking under the previous Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) city government meant it had ownership rights over the first and second floors of the property -- a claim rejected by Hsieh's subsequent Kuomintang (KMT) administration.

In January 2024, Hsieh said that the Breeze Group, a mall management company, would take over the site, which was subsequently rebranded as "East Coast by Breeze."

In the early hours of Feb. 1, 2024, Hsieh directed his subordinates to break the locks and take physical control of the building.

Dissatisfaction over Hsieh's handling of the affair prompted activists to attempt to remove him from office last year in accordance with Taiwan's Public Official Election and Recall Act.

However, the recall election on Oct. 13, 2024, resulted in victory for Hsieh, who kept his post after 55.15 percent of valid votes supported him remaining in office.

On Wednesday, prosecutors said witness testimonies indicated "definite uncertainty" over whether NET had furnished all the funds for the first- and second-floor development works, as the plaintiff had claimed.

Prosecutors also said that a contract signed after the development works had been completed confirmed that the ownership of the renovated areas belonged to the city government, and NET signed a cooperation agreement in 2020 based on this ownership arrangement.

In short, the prosecutors decided not to pursue prosecution since they determined NET did not possess ownership rights over the mall at the time of the incident.

Later on Wednesday, Chen Yi-wen (陳義文), an attorney for NET, said that the company would "definitely re-visit" the prosecutors' decision and "defend the spirit of the rule of law."

"Is the Keelung District Prosecutors Office telling citizens that when there is a dispute over rental property, there is no need to care about the law or go through a judgment?" the attorney said, alluding to separate civil litigation over the ownership of the property.

Lu Ching-wei (呂謦煒), spokesperson for the Keelung City Government, said that the authorities carried out the transfer of ownership of the mall "in accordance with the law" and thanked the prosecutors for "clearing the city's name."