Taipei city council deputy speaker released on NT$5 million bail

Taipei, Aug. 1 (CNA) Taipei City Council Deputy Speaker Yeh Lin-chuang (葉林傳) was released on NT$5 million (US$166,833) bail Friday after being questioned by investigators over corruption allegations the day before.

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office also barred Yeh from leaving the country and ordered electronic monitoring of his movements.

Eleven other suspects and three witnesses were also released on Friday, either on bail or without restrictions, after giving statements that began late Thursday night.

Yeh is suspected of secretly owning an adults-only gaming arcade in the city's Zhongshan District, registered under the name of a businessperson surnamed Chi (紀), according to prosecutors.

He is also under investigation for allegedly violating the Anti-Corruption Act by failing to recuse himself during the passage of amendments between 2017 and 2018 that gave the businesses in question legal status, prosecutors said.

After a court-issued search warrant was approved Thursday, investigators searched 17 locations linked to Yeh and eight other individuals.

The investigation traces back to a 2024 case involving a Taipei police officer surnamed Liu (劉), who was accused of accepting bribes to cover up illegal activity at gaming arcades, massage parlors and bars.

During the investigation, Yeh's current and former assistants were also questioned, prosecutors said.