KMT Changhua County council speaker held in vote-buying probe

Taipei, Sept. 17 (CNA) Changhua County Council Speaker Hsieh Dien-lin (謝典霖) and four others, including his parents, were taken into custody Thursday in connection with a June banquet that authorities allege constituted vote-buying.

Prosecutors have asked the court to approve the formal detention of Hsieh, a member of the Kuomintang (KMT), his father Hsieh Hsin-lung (謝新隆), his mother Cheng Ru-fen (鄭汝芬), a former legislator, and two others on suspicion of violating Taiwan's Public Officials Election and Recall Act.

According to prosecutors, the banquet, where more than 10 tables of residents from Xihu Township were entertained, served as a covert campaign event to support Hsieh's aunt, KMT Xihu Township mayoral candidate Chen Chen-fei (陳貞妃).

The Changhua County Council denied the allegation at the time, saying the gathering was an exchange among local community leaders rather than a council-organized event, and that no public funds, council budget or speaker's discretionary funds were used.

Chen and six other suspects were released on bail ranging from NT$30,000 (US$941) to NT$100,000 after questioning, while nearly 10 other attendees were released without charge.

Prosecutors said they would continue to investigate all reports of election bribery, including through banquets, tours, gifts or cash payments, to safeguard the integrity of democratic elections.

The banquet first drew public attention in July, when Executive Yuan Central Taiwan Joint Services Center Deputy Executive Officer Wu Yin-ning (吳音寧) alleged that Hsieh had used the banquet to campaign for his aunt.

In a social media post, Wu, whose family has longstanding ties to local politics and rural affairs in Changhua, questioned whether the banquet was paid for privately or with county council resources, suggesting it could have violated the Public Officials Election and Recall Act.

Following Thursday's detentions, KMT Culture and Communications Committee Director Chen Yi-hsin (陳以信) said prosecutors should explain the basis for their probe, given that it began shortly after Wu's post.

In response, Wu said that the issue was not who brought the matter to light, but whether a crime had been committed, and called on the KMT to respect the judicial investigation.

(By Cheng Wei-chen and Evelyn Kao)

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