Taiwan Post employees suspected of corruption over renovation project

Two employees of Chunghwa Post, Taiwan's postal service, are under investigation for allegedly engaging in corrupt practices related to a significant office renovation project. The employees, an assistant manager and an assistant, are suspected of manipulating the procurement process to award contracts without public bidding.

According to reports, in late 2020, Chunghwa Post undertook an office renovation estimated to cost over a million New Taiwan Dollars. To expedite the process and circumvent the requirement for public tenders, the project was allegedly divided into more than ten smaller contracts. These smaller contracts were then purportedly awarded to specific, pre-selected vendors.

Investigators believe that Zheng Yufei, an assistant manager, and Xie Zhiwen, an assistant, colluded with representatives from companies like Feng Hai Construction and Xing Yan Engineering. The alleged scheme involved awarding the split contracts to Feng Hai Construction, while other companies allegedly provided fabricated quotes to create the appearance of a competitive bidding process. Prosecutors suspect this arrangement constitutes corruption and a violation of procurement laws, specifically the offense of benefiting others.

Following an investigation, prosecutors interrogated eight defendants. Zheng Yufei and Xie Zhiwen were each granted bail of NT$200,000 and NT$100,000, respectively. Representatives from the involved construction companies also received bail, with Feng Hai Construction's actual responsible person posting NT$200,000 and Xing Yan Engineering's responsible person posting NT$100,000. The case is ongoing as authorities seek to clarify the extent of the alleged collusion and corruption.