Changhua: Changhua County Council Speaker Hsieh Dien-lin and his father, Hsieh Hsin-lung, were ordered detained and held incommunicado by a court late Thursday in connection with a June banquet that prosecutors allege involved vote-buying.

According to Focus Taiwan, Hsieh's mother, Cheng Ju-fen, a former Kuomintang (KMT) legislator, was released on NT$1 million bail (US$31,460) as announced by the Changhua District Court in a press release on Friday. Additionally, Hsieh's aide, surnamed Liu, and the council's director of legal affairs, surnamed Huang, were each released on NT$300,000 bail.

The court emphasized that Hsieh Dien-lin, 47, holds significant sway as the speaker of the Changhua County Council and could potentially influence the testimony of the alleged accomplices and witnesses involved in the case. Likewise, Hsieh Hsin-lung, who denied the allegations of vote-buying, was deemed capable of influencing testimonies, leading to the court's decision to detain both men to prevent potential collusion and witness tampering.

Cheng, despite denying the allegations, was not found to have attempted any collusion or evidence destruction. As a result, the court decided against her detention, releasing her on bail with the condition that she does not change her residence.

The allegations stem from a June banquet, which prosecutors claim violated Taiwan's Public Officials Election and Recall Act by acting as a covert campaign event for Hsieh's aunt, KMT Xihu Township mayoral candidate Chen Chen-fei. However, the Changhua County Council refuted these claims, insisting the gathering was merely an exchange among local leaders without the use of public or council funds.

Public scrutiny of the banquet began in July when Executive Yuan Central Taiwan Joint Services Center Deputy Executive Officer Wu Yin-ning, known for her family's political ties in Changhua, accused Hsieh of using the event to campaign for his aunt. Following the arrests, KMT Culture and Communications Committee Director Chen Yi-hsin called for prosecutors to clarify the basis of their investigation, which commenced after Wu's allegations.

Wu responded by stressing the importance of determining whether a crime had occurred, urging the KMT to respect the ongoing judicial process.