Kaohsiung: Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen Ming-tse of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and a construction contractor were detained and held incommunicado Saturday over allegations of extortion and bribery involving a green-energy company.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Ciaotou District Court approved the detention, stating that the two were suspected of jointly engaging in corrupt conduct punishable by a minimum prison sentence of five years. There were concerns that the suspects could flee, collude with others, or destroy evidence. The ruling is open to appeal.
The Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office indicated that Chen and Chuang, the head of a construction company, allegedly used their positions to coerce a green-energy company into providing improper benefits related to excavated soil while also accepting bribes.
Prosecutors conducted searches and questioned the defendants and witnesses on Thursday. After questioning Chen and Chuang, prosecutors determined there was strong evidence linking the two to corruption-related offenses and extortion and sought their detention.
Authorities have not disclosed further details of the case.