Taipei City councilor released on bail over alleged corruption

Taipei, Feb. 13 (CNA) A Taipei City councilor was released on bail of NT$1 million (US$30,476) and her office assistant detained incommunicado on Thursday over the alleged misappropriation of public funds.

Councilor Chen E-jun (陳怡君), of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is suspected of defrauding the Taipei City Council of more than NT$3 million since 2019, according to Taipei City's Shilin District Prosecutors Office.

Although the prosecutors' request for her to be held incommunicado was rejected, the DPP councilor was ordered by the Shilin District Court to remain at her residence, and is barred from leaving the country for eight months, the court said.

Feb. 12: Taipei City councilor probed for alleged fraud

Chen is accused of fraudulently claiming assistant salaries, a criminal offense that can lead to a prison sentence of at least five years, according to the prosecutors.

Chen's assistant, identified by her surname Chang (張), was detained in connection with the case, after the district court ruled that she is "strongly suspected" of having violated Taiwan's Anti-Corruption Act.

Under Taiwanese law, suspects may be held incommunicado for up to four months in investigative detention with the approval of a court.

After the court's ruling, the Shilin District Prosecutors Office said it would consider whether to appeal the decision and again petition the court to hold Chen in investigative detention.