This Week in Taiwan 0920-0926
September 22: On September 21, the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office concluded its investigation of the bribery case concerning various legislators. It determined that the principal of Pacific Distribution Investment Company, Lee Heng-lung, in order to seize business control of the SOGO department stores, bribed legislators and legislative aides with NT$37.7 million (about US$1.3 million) over nine years. Among them, Legislator Su Chen-ching used his uncle Su Jia-chyuan's political rank within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration to demand NT$25.8 million (about US$886,000), the most, in bribes.
The prosecution indicted 12 people including incumbent legislators Su Chen-ching, Liao Kuo-tung, Chen Chao-ming, and Chao Cheng-yu, as well as former Legislator Hsu Yung-ming, and asked for heavier sentencing.
The Taipei District Court found that it was necessary to detain Su, Chen, and Liao for corruption charges. Based on the separation of powers, the Legislative Yuan approved the detention.
September 22: The Ill-Gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee (CIPAS) identified the Chinese Association for Relief and Ensuing Services (CARES) as an affiliated organization of the Kuomintang (KMT). CIPAS Chairman Lin Feng-cheng stated that CARES retained national assets accumulated from the party state era, with a current value of approximately NT$1.3 billion (about US$44.6 million), including about NT$500 million (about US$17.2 million) cash, about NT$860 million (about US$29.5 million) in real property. The assets will become frozen.
CARES was originally named the Chinese Mainland Relief Association. The organization was established in 1950 and acquired its current name in 2000.
September 23: Taiwan exported 19 confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19), including 18 Filipinos and one Japanese who was confirmed positive when he entered an airport in Japan after departing Taiwan. The 18 cases involving Filipinos contacted a total of 372 people in Taiwan. Some 202 individuals were tested with negative results.
September 23: In his new book White House, Inc., Forbes Senior Editor Dan Alexander revealed that Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, once took a US$50 million loan from Taiwan's Mega Bank. According to Mega Bank, Wells Fargo hosted a joint loan of US$175 million to real estate developers, and Kushner was one of the shareholders and one of three guarantors. The sum of $50 million was fully paid off in December 2018.
September 24: Beginning around 6:45 AM, a number of fighter jets whizzed across the skies of Taipei. As they saw helicopter formations fly through the city center, many people worried whether war had begun. According to the Ministry of National Defense, this is a first rehearsal drill for the performances on October 10, the National Day of the Republic of China. To conduct a half-force rehearsal, the Armed Forces dispatched one Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, two Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, three General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircrafts, and three AIDC AT-3 jet trainers. On September 29, a full-force rehearsal will be held.
September 25: A third company of Taiwan's national face mask production team was caught cheating. In Kaohsiung, a mask-producing company Jing Sin violated regulations by privately setting up mask production lines and intending to sell masks for profit. Investigation officials of the prosecution seized two machines and more than 70,000 pieces of face masks, and the company's principal was released on a bail of NT$300,000 (about US$10,000). The Health Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government imposed a fine of NT$2 million (about US$68,000) for violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.