TAIPEI: The chiefs of two of Taiwan’s 14 counties were implicated in corruption cases yesterday, officials said, in the latest graft scandals to rock the island.
Chang Hua-Guan, chief of Chiayi county, was charged with receiving at least Tw$5.21m ($176,000) from several companies to help them secure government contracts, said the Kaohsiung district prosecutors’ office.
Twenty others, including Chang’s sister who allegedly contacted the companies on her behalf, were indicted for their involvement in the same case, it said in a statement.
Chang, a senior member of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, has maintained her innocence and insisted that the court will clear her name.
Separately, Lee Chao-Ching, chief of Nantou county and member of the ruling Kuomintang party, was arrested and detained yesterday also on corruption charges, Nantou district court said.
Lee was suspected of collecting kickbacks from companies in several construction projects in his county.
Taiwan has been shaken by a string of high-profile corruption cases involving top officials, prompting the government last year to set up a special anti-corruption body.
Lin Yi-Shih, a former top cabinet official, was indicted on corruption charges last month for abusing his influence to solicit and accept about $2m in bribes.
AFP
