New Taipei: Investigations into alleged signature forgeries in recall vote campaigns intensified on Tuesday, as prosecutors detained a KMT city branch secretary in New Taipei, released three KMT local officials, and sought the detention of three others in Keelung. KMT New Taipei City Branch Secretary-General Chen Chen-jung was ordered detained and held incommunicado by the New Taipei District Court following over two hours of questioning, based on information from the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office.
According to Focus Taiwan, Chen is suspected of involvement in forging signatures in a campaign to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. The suspicion arose from lawsuits filed by DPP legislators Su Chiao-hui and Lee Kuen-cheng, who alleged that false signatures were utilized in the recall efforts targeting them. Chen was among four KMT local officials brought in during a second wave of searches on Monday. The other three officials, Tsai Kan-tzu, Chu Pei-yi, and Lo Ta-yu, were released after questioning.
The searches on Monday included the KMT’s New Taipei City branch and were a continuation of earlier raids on April 15, which targeted 30 locations, including the KMT’s Banqiao District and Sanchong District branches. On Tuesday, the KMT’s New Taipei City branch chairman Huang Chih-hsiung criticized Chen’s detention, calling it politically motivated and announcing the party’s intention to appeal.
Huang expressed confusion over the initiation of a second round of searches and questioning without new evidence. He also questioned the fairness of the proceedings, noting that the court approved the detention order after a brief one-hour hearing.
In Keelung, prosecutors conducted raids on six locations, including the KMT city branch and residences of recall organizers targeting DPP city councilors Cheng Wen-ting and Jiho Tiun. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau’s (MJIB) Keelung City Field Office executed the searches, bringing in Chi Wen-chuan, Yu Cheng-yi, and Hsu Shao-yeh for questioning on suspicion of forging documents.
Authorities also questioned the KMT’s Ren’ai District branch director Chang Chin-fa, branch chairman Wu Kuo-sheng, first section chief Hsiao Chuang-feng, and branch secretary-general Li Ming-yi as witnesses. After questioning, Chang Chin-fa and Wu were reclassified as suspects and transferred for further interrogation.
Prosecutors suspect that Keelung City Government’s Department of Civil Affairs Director Chang Yuan-hsiang accessed the household registration system to assist in verifying or obtaining personal data for the recall petition, which would violate civil service neutrality. Prosecutors submitted requests to the Keelung District Court to formally detain Chang Yuan-hsiang, Chi, and Chang Chin-fa. The court had not made a decision at press time.
Wu was released on NT$300,000 bail, Yu on NT$150,000, and Hsu on NT$30,000, according to prosecutors. In both New Taipei and Keelung, the campaigners were working to gather signatures required to trigger a public recall vote under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act.