Kaohsiung: Legislator Lin Dai-hua and eight others have been indicted for allegedly making false expense claims, while a Buddhist monk faces charges for a suspected breach of faith in funding her mayoral campaign, as announced by prosecutors.

According to Focus Taiwan, Lin, who has been a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker since 2002, except for a brief period from 2008 to 2011, was indicted for unsubstantiated claims related to staff salaries and overtime pay. The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office released a statement detailing the charges against her.

Lin responded to the indictment by stating her commitment to cooperating with judicial procedures and defending her name in court. She also took to Facebook, assuring her continued dedication to serving the people of Kaohsiung while maintaining her innocence.

Prosecutors allege that since her return to the Legislative Yuan in 2011, Lin has claimed NT$14.74 million (US$494,837) in expenses, purportedly to cover the salary of a woman surnamed Wang, Lin’s younger brother’s wife, and Lin’s cousin surnamed Lo, who were listed as assistants. Notably, Wang’s monthly salary allegedly exceeded Lin’s, despite a lack of evidence supporting her employment in Lin’s office.

In addition to the salary claims, prosecutors accused Lin of fraudulently claiming NT$228,090 in overtime pay for five staff members during her two terms prior to February 2024. Lin, her younger brother, and an accountant surnamed Huang were indicted for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent arrangements. Wang was also indicted; however, Lo was not, due to his passing.

The monk, head of Ran Deng Dhan Fa Tong Temple in Kaohsiung’s Renwu District, faces charges of embezzling NT$5.91 million from March 2024 to February 2025 to support Lin’s mayoral campaign. Prosecutors allege that the monk forged documents to establish a legal entity for the campaign using funds from a foundation set up in Lin’s father’s name, intended to promote Buddhism.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai and DPP lawmaker Chiu Yi-Ying acknowledged the indictments, emphasizing their respect for the judicial process. Other potential mayoral candidates, DPP lawmakers Hsu Chih-chieh and Lai Jui-lung, chose not to comment. Similarly, KMT lawmaker Ko Chih-en, who may run again after losing to Chen in 2022, refrained from commenting on Lin’s case but expressed hope for fair judicial proceedings.