Taipei court clears ex-KMT official of vote buying charges

Taipei, Sept. 25 (CNA) The Shilin District Court on Thursday acquitted former Kuomintang (KMT) Central Standing Committee member Hsiao Ching-tien (蕭景田) and 26 other defendants of vote buying charges, saying prosecutors failed to provide sufficient evidence.

The court stated it could not conclude that Hsiao's personal funding of fellow KMT ward chiefs' campaigns in Taipei's Beitou and Shilin districts constituted vote buying.

Hsiao attended the hearing and told reporters after the decision that he was grateful to the judges for clearing his name and proving he was not involved in illegal activity.

He also said he expected the prosecution to appeal and thanked those who had cared for and supported him, and urged investigators and prosecutors to uphold the presumption of innocence.

The Shilin District Prosecutors Office said the case began with allegations that Hsiao and KMT Beitou District party office head Tseng Fan-chuan (曾繁川) handed out envelopes containing campaign materials and cash totaling NT$110,000 (US$3,613) while visiting ward chief candidates in Shilin and Beitou districts on Nov. 22, 2022.

Prosecutors charged Hsiao, Tseng and several ward chief candidates in February 2023 under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act.

The Shilin District Court said it issued Thursday's first-instance verdict after more than two years of proceedings and the recent conclusion of arguments.

The court found that cash-filled envelopes came from other supporters pooling money to wish candidates well in elections and that other defendants could not be shown to have received any money.

The court cited testimony from KMT Taipei City party office head Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹) and others that private sponsorship of ward chiefs' campaigns is common.

It concluded that Hsiao's personal funding and visits with Tseng, as well as their requests for support to help all four KMT city council candidates win after Lin had lost an earlier election, were normal party mobilization rather than illegal vote buying.