Nuclear power plant director, 2 others indicted on corruption charges

Taipei, Aug. 15 (CNA) Three individuals, including the head of the Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei, were indicted Friday on charges of corruption, while a businessman surnamed Tsao (曹), who allegedly paid the bribes, was granted a deferred prosecution.

Tseng Wen-huang (曾文煌), who in January 2024 took over as head of the power plant that shut down in 2023 after reaching the end of its 40-year service life, oversaw the completion of the plant's control system upgrade, a project whose tender had already been awarded to Tsao, the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office said.

On Feb. 1, 2024, Tseng met with Tsao and allegedly solicited a NT$2 million (US$66,564) bribe to facilitate the project's acceptance check, which Tsao agreed to, according to prosecutors.

When the two met again on June 13, however, Tsao pleaded with Tseng to lower his NT$2 million demand to NT$1.6 million, prosecutors alleged.

In August, Tsao arrived outside Tseng's apartment in Keelung to hand over the money, which Tseng later hid in a concealed compartment above the ceiling in his home.

In June 2024, Tsao won another tender for a new SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system, and Tseng allegedly called Tsao to his office and demanded NT$200,000, prosecutors said, adding that the money was paid in January 2025 upon the project's completion.

Tsao was not the only person to bribe Tseng, prosecutors alleged. Another businessman surnamed Hao (郝) was asked by Tsao to bid on a NT$7 million tender for automated sandblasters at the plant, and he agreed, understanding that Tseng expected to receive bribes.

Prosecutors said Hao went to Tseng's office twice, once in March 2025 and once in April 2025, handing him NT$200,000 each time.

Hao is also acquainted with Chu Yun-chung (朱允中), director of the Linkou Power Plant in New Taipei, who was also indicted on corruption charges Friday.

Chu assisted Hao in winning a tender at the Linkou plant in 2019 and was awarded a NT$500,000 cut, prosecutors said, and Chu also got a bribe of NT$300,000 from Hao for another Linkou project in 2020.

On Friday, Tseng, Chu and Hao were indicted on charges of corruption.

Meanwhile, Tsao admitted to the offense and expressed deep remorse, providing a full account of the facts that helped clarify the case.

As such, prosecutors said Tsao was granted a deferred prosecution for a period of two years, during which he must pay NT$1.5 million to the national treasury.

An investigation into the corruption case was launched earlier this year.