Tainan: The Tainan District Prosecutors Office has indicted ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin I-chin for allegedly embezzling over NT$14 million (US$458,668) in publicly-funded assistant salaries. The indictment highlights serious allegations against Lin, who has served in various governmental roles over the years.
According to Focus Taiwan, Lin, along with the director of her constituency service center, surnamed Huang, faces charges for fraudulently obtaining assets under the Anti-Corruption Act and causing a public official to make a false entry, as stipulated in the Criminal Code. Additionally, an assistant, also surnamed Huang, has been indicted for lying to prosecutors, while 13 others were granted deferred prosecution.
Prosecutors allege that Lin falsely claimed NT$14,127,388 in assistant salaries from the Tainan County Council, Tainan City Council, and the Legislative Yuan. This was purportedly done by listing private assistants as publicly funded, inflating salary reports, and claiming pay for non-existent assistants over her tenure as a councilor and legislator from 2009 to 2024. The misappropriated funds were used for her service office or personal expenses, prosecutors stated.
Despite the allegations, Lin has reportedly returned the entirety of her alleged illegal gains. She was questioned in August 2024 and subsequently released on NT$1 million bail with the condition that she remains in the country.
Prosecutors emphasized the extensive nature of the investigation, noting that Lin’s alleged criminal activities spanned 15 years, involved numerous individuals, and a significant sum of money. The investigation involved 46 interviews due to its complexity and the need for thorough cross-referencing of information.
Lin’s political career includes serving as a councilor in the former Tainan County from 1998 until 2010, before it was restructured as a special municipality. She then served as a Tainan City Councilor until 2020 and has since held a position as a national-level lawmaker.