Hsinchu County chief released on bail in alleged corruption case

Taipei, March 1 (CNA) Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke (楊文科) has been released on bail after being questioned in a case potentially involving corruption, according to the Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office on Friday.

Yang was questioned on Thursday on suspicion of violating the Anti-Corruption Act, but prosecutors felt it was not necessary to hold him in custody, the office said in a statement.

Yang was subsequently released on bail of NT$500,000 (US$15,795), but prosecutors said they were still investigating the case and could not provide any other details.

In a separate statement, the Hsinchu County government said Yang insisted that he had done nothing illegal.

As long as it helps clarify the truth, Yang will fully cooperate with the investigation, and he hoped that a fair trial will restore his innocence, the county government said without elaborating.

Meanwhile, a source familiar with the matter told CNA on Friday that the investigation is believed to be related to a development project dubbed "Wonder World 520," situated in Zhubei city.

In December 2023, Chiang Liang-yuan (江良淵), the former head of the county government's Public Works Department, was released on NT$300,000 bail after been detained in September for three months, also due to suspected corruption.

At the time, prosecutors declined to provide further details about the case, but sources alleged that it was likely linked to the "Wonder World 520" project.