New Taipei City Councilor Granted Bail on Bribery Charges

New Taipei City Councilor Wang Wei-yuan has been granted bail of NT$2 million (approximately $64,000 USD) as he faces allegations of bribery and attempting to influence a public construction bid. Wang, a former secretary-general of the New Taipei City council's KMT caucus, is suspected of intervening in a bid for a project involving a department of the New Taipei City government and a construction engineering firm.

Investigators allege that Wang attempted to bribe the project's contract officer with expensive liquor and tens of thousands of dollars in cash to ensure a specific contractor secured the bid. However, the official reportedly refused the bribe and subsequently reported the incident. The New Taipei City Government's anti-corruption unit collected evidence before forwarding the case to prosecutors.

Prosecutors from the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office led an investigation, conducting searches at Wang's and his assistant's offices, as well as their residences. Wang, his male assistant identified as Ke, and three other defendants were brought in for questioning. Wang and Ke were subsequently granted bail, while the other defendants were released. No city government officials have been named as defendants in this case.

Wang, elected as a city councilor in 2018, represents the Sanchong and Luzhou districts. He has previously held positions such as secretary-general of the KMT caucus and chairman of the Taiwan Local Councilors Alliance. His office stated they were unaware of the detailed situation and suggested the timing of the investigation might be politically motivated, aiming to disrupt election prospects. The case is currently under investigation.

This is not the first legal challenge for Wang. In the 2024 legislative election period, he was accused of spreading false information about a legislative candidate, Li Kun-cheng, concerning a sewage backflow incident during construction by the New Taipei City Water Resources Bureau. However, the New Taipei District Court acquitted Wang in February, finding insufficient evidence to prove intent to influence the election or defamation.