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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Elections & Politics

Taiwan Prosecutors Offer Big Rewards to Combat Election Bribery

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Taiwan's authorities are intensifying efforts to combat election bribery ahead of local elections in November.
  • Officials highlighted significant rewards for whistleblowers, with potential prizes ranging from NT$500,000 to NT$20 million.
  • The campaign aims to safeguard Taiwan's democracy against threats like ghost voters, deepfake videos, and foreign interference.

Taiwan's top prosecutors are launching a robust campaign against election bribery, emphasizing substantial rewards for informants and a zero-tolerance approach to electoral interference. Acting Prosecutor General Hsu Hsi-hsiang personally attended a press conference in Hualien, underscoring the government's commitment to clean elections.

Reporting bribery is absolutely confidential. In the past, there was even a real funny story where the whistleblower received a huge reward, but the spouse sleeping next to them didn't know at all.

— Hsu Hsi-hsiangActing Prosecutor General Hsu Hsi-hsiang shared an anecdote to highlight the confidentiality of the reporting process and the significant rewards available.

"Reporting bribery is absolutely confidential," Hsu stated, sharing an anecdote about a whistleblower who received a large reward without their spouse's knowledge. He encouraged citizens to report any suspicious activity, highlighting that rewards can range from NT$500,000 to NT$20 million. Hsu stressed the importance of protecting Taiwan's hard-won democratic achievements, warning against the influence of ghost voters, deepfake videos, gambling syndicates, and hostile foreign forces.

Hua-lien District Prosecutor's Office Chief Prosecutor Chen Shu-yi confirmed that investigations are underway for various forms of bribery, including cash, gifts, banquets, ghost voters, and foreign funding. She vowed to prosecute any cases involving foreign money attempting to influence elections under the "Anti-Infiltration Act" and "National Security Act." The campaign aims to ensure a clean electoral environment in Hualien.

The best way to combat bribery is through strong prosecution!

— Hung Pei-kenHung Pei-ken, Chief Prosecutor of the Hualien Branch of the Supreme Prosecutors Office, emphasized the importance of active prosecution to build public confidence and encourage more tip-offs.

Higher Prosecutors Office Hualien Branch Chief Prosecutor Hung Pei-ken noted the complexity of this year's "five-in-one" local elections, with numerous candidates increasing the risk of systemic vote-buying. He also pointed to new challenges posed by deepfake misinformation and foreign attempts to influence specific candidates through financial means. Hung emphasized that proactive prosecution and visible results will build public confidence and encourage more tip-offs, turning whistleblower rewards into a reliable source of income.

No matter if it's red money or other foreign forces, as long as the money comes from abroad and attempts to influence specific elections, prosecutors will strictly investigate according to the 'Anti-Infiltration Act' and the 'National Security Act.'

— Chen Shu-yiHualien District Prosecutor's Office Chief Prosecutor Chen Shu-yi stated the office's commitment to prosecuting cases involving foreign interference in elections.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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