Taipei City councilor probed for alleged fraud

Taipei, Feb. 12 (CNA) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Chen E-jun (陳怡君) is under investigation for allegedly using family members and friends as proxy assistants to fraudulently claim over NT$3 million (US$95,000) in assistant salaries, according to a source in the prosecutors office on Wednesday.

According to the Shilin District Prosecutors Office, searches were conducted at 13 locations, and 11 individuals were questioned, including Chen's brother and three others, who she allegedly recruited for the scheme in 2019.

Among those questioned, seven were listed as defendants and the others as witnesses, prosecutors said, as the case is being investigated under the Anti-Corruption Act for alleged fraud and abuse of office.

Those involved will first be questioned by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau before being transferred to prosecutors for further interrogation later in the evening, the office said.

In response, as Chen was being taken away to be questioned she denied the allegations and pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation.