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TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — More than 200 people have been arrested for Chinese interference in Taiwan’s elections, while 46 have been arrested for obstructing the election.
Taiwan has investigated 3,287 cases of election interference involving 3,548 individuals, with 46 in custody, reported CNA. There are 117 cases related to the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法) involving foreign forces influencing the election, with 287 individuals implicated.
The Supreme Prosecutor’s Office said 3,287 cases had been processed as of Thursday (Jan. 11), involving 3,548 defendants. Among these cases, there are 192 under the category of “election inspection,” 2,089 under “other election offense,” and 1,006 under “election investigation.”
Currently, 46 individuals have been detained, with 93 cases involving 76 defendants prosecuted. Confiscated illegal gains, including proceeds from gambling and bribes for endorsements, amount to over NT$45.11 million (US$1.45 million).
Election interference cases have been mostly associated with election gambling, reaching as many as 1,430 cases involving 1,284 people. These cases involve bets placed using emerging cryptocurrencies, and wagers against specific undisclosed individuals.
There were said to be 353 cases of election interference involving misinformation, concerning 335 people. This includes cases investigated by the Taipei District Prosecutor’s Office and overseas cyber operators spreading false information about Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Lai Ching-te (賴清德).
They have investigated 21 cases of “ghost households” involving 39 individuals. This phenomenon refers to when people deliberately move their official place of residence to a specific electoral district to obtain the right to vote.
Cases related to foreign forces and the Anti-Infiltration Act amounted to 117, with 287 individuals implicated, many of whom are local politicians and neighborhood officials being investigated for trips to China meant to influence the elections. For example, former Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) was questioned about his involvement in a Chinese infiltration case and released on NT$1 million bail on Wednesday (Jan. 10).
Independent legislative candidate Ma Chih-wei (馬治薇) was expelled from the Taiwan People’s Party on Jan. 6 after she was detained for allegedly receiving campaign money from China. A central committee member of the Chinese Unification Promotion Party surnamed Lin (林) has been implicated in recruiting people to travel to China for alleged election influence activities.
In addition, the Kaohsiung Ciaotou Prosecutors’ Office suspects the China Pan-Blue Association recruited 130 people, including former and current borough chiefs, to go on trips to China funded by Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office. Prosecutors believe that a man surnamed Cheng (鄭) and a woman, surnamed Yeh (葉) recruited the participants for the trips.
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