Lawyer: Confessions of Associates Severely Damage Legislator Kao Chin-su-mei's Embezzlement Case

Taiwanese legislator Kao Chin-su-mei faces serious charges of corruption, accused of embezzling over NT$7.87 million in public funds designated for legislative assistants and year-end bonuses. The indictment, brought forth by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, alleges that Kao, along with her office director Chang Chun-chieh, utilized ghost employees and inflated salary schemes to siphon funds between 2008 and 2018.

Central to the prosecution's case are the confessions from key figures involved. Kao's sister-in-law, Liu Pei-ying, who was allegedly used as a ghost assistant to claim NT$750,000 in fees, has admitted her role during the investigation. Similarly, two other individuals identified as ghost assistants, Kao Wei and Chen Yu-huang, have also confessed to their involvement.

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The confessions of Kao's sister-in-law and two other ghost assistants directly kill the charge of Kao Chin-su-mei embezzling assistant fees, constituting the serious crime of 'misappropriation of property by abuse of authority' under the Anti-Corruption Act, which carries a sentence of 7 years or more.

Lawyer Huang Ti-ying likened the impact of these confessions to that of a key witness's admission in a separate high-profile case, suggesting they severely undermine Kao's defense. He stated that the confessions directly implicate Kao in the crime of "misappropriation of property by abuse of authority," a serious offense under Taiwan's Anti-Corruption Act, which carries a minimum sentence of seven years.

Prosecutors are seeking a combined sentence of 12 years and 6 months for Kao and Chang. They have requested leniency for Liu Pei-ying and the other confessing assistants, noting their cooperation and the fact that they did not personally benefit from the embezzled funds, which were reportedly used for family living expenses. The case highlights ongoing efforts to combat corruption within public office in Taiwan.

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The killing power of the Kao Chin-su-mei embezzlement of assistant fees case, with the co-defendants sister-in-law and three ghost assistants confessing, is like Vice Mayor Peng Chen-sheng's confession of benefiting from corruption, directly killing the main suspect Ko Wen-je in terms of the elements of criminal co-offenders.