Changhua prosecutors indict 6 for corruption over green energy bids

Taipei, March 27 (CNA) Six people, including four current and former servicemen, have been indicted on corruption charges, prosecutors in Changhua County said Thursday.

The defendants are accused of colluding with a broker to solicit bribes from green energy contractors for a solar panel project.

The Changhua District Prosecutors Office said the four servicemen are a logistics officer lieutenant colonel identified by his surname Hsu (許), a retired officer named Yeh (葉), a sergeant named Chen (陳), and a captain named Tsai (蔡).

According to the indictment, in August and September 2022, Hsu allegedly directed the broker, another individual named Chen (陳), to invite contractors to submit bids and collect bribes.

A green energy contractor, identified as Huang (黃), won the bid with an offer of NT$200 million (US$6 million), half of which was a bribe, prosecutors said.

Huang initially planned to withdraw from the deal due to concerns over high costs and low potential profitability following an inspection of the proposed site, but later renegotiated a contract worth NT$130 million to continue collaborating on the project.

After receiving a tip-off the same year, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) began an internal investigation, which halted the project, prosecutors said.

However, prosecutors alleged that the broker Chen used his connections to restart the project, and Tsai took over the new bidding process.

The prosecutors' investigation, which concluded on March 26, was led by Chen Ding-wen (陳鼎文), who worked in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice's Investigation Bureau and the Agency Against Corruption.

All six defendants were indicted for crimes relating to bribery and receiving unlawful profits under Taiwan's Anti-Corruption Act, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors said Yeh and the broker Chen face sentences of up to nine years while Sergeant Chen faces eight years, it said.