ELECTION 2024/5 suspects, including association head, indicted for election law breach

Taipei, March 7 (CNA) The head of a new immigrant association and four other people have been indicted for suspected violations of Taiwan's election law as well as the Anti-Infiltration Act, according to the Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office in Kaohsiung.

Prosecutors said the five suspects were indicted on March 4 for alleged violations of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act, the Anti-Infiltration Act, and the Money Laundering Control Act, according to a news release published Thursday.

In the release, prosecutors said the suspects included a woman identified by her last name Chou (周), who heads a new immigrant association in Taiwan, and a man surnamed Hsu (徐), an honorary chairman of a party that is known to strongly advocate for Taiwan's unification with China.

In November last year, they were involved in organizing a trip to China's Hunan Province for 60 people from Taitung and Kaohsiung, who were given free accommodation and transportation as a bribe to vote for a particular presidential candidate, prosecutors said.

Meanwhile, Hsu allegedly also took orders from forces in China to produce fake public opinion polls ahead of Taiwan's January elections, according to the office.

Hsu was suspected of manufacturing fake polls in collaboration with his son, Chou, and a woman surnamed Wang (王), both of whom were among the suspects indicted, prosecutors said.

The fake poll results were intended to tip the scales in favor of a particular presidential candidate in the elections and were published between August and September by the Economic Daily News, the United Daily News, the Match Life net, and the PChome News, according to the office.

Forces in China are believed to be wiring money directly to Hsu's son and Wang, they said.