Taiwanese Aide Charged in Major Fraud Scheme, Prosecutors Seek 16 Years

Prosecutors have indicted Zhang Jun-jie, a long-time aide to independent legislator Gao Jin-sumei, for his alleged central role in defrauding the legislature of assistant fees and embezzling funds from an indigenous cultural association. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office is seeking a sentence of 16 years or more for Zhang, arguing that he masterminded the schemes and has not shown remorse or returned illicit gains.

“

He is accused of orchestrating a system to defraud the Legislative Yuan of over NT$7 million in public assistant fees.

Zhang is accused of orchestrating a system to defraud the Legislative Yuan of over NT$7 million in public assistant fees. Prosecutors allege he manipulated the hiring of assistants, including relatives and acquaintances who did not perform actual work, to inflate payrolls and embezzle funds. He allegedly created a facade of legitimate employment to circumvent oversight mechanisms.

In addition to the assistant fee fraud, Zhang is also charged with defrauding the "Taiwan Indigenous Multi-Ethnic Cultural Exchange Association" of over NT$9.3 million between 2015 and 2018. This involved submitting false invoices and overstating expenses for archery and singing events. Prosecutors described this as a systematic fraud, with Zhang controlling finances and deliberately creating cash flow disruptions to conceal the illicit gains, leading to money laundering charges.

“

He allegedly created a facade of legitimate employment to circumvent oversight mechanisms.

Prosecutors emphasized that Zhang was not merely following orders but was the key operator in the entire scheme. They pointed to his alleged manipulation of personnel and administrative operations within Gao's legislative office, his role in managing finances for the cultural association, and his use of shell accounts and inter-company transactions to create a false impression of financial stability. His alleged involvement spans multiple organizations and types of offenses.

“

Prosecutors described this as a systematic fraud, with Zhang controlling finances and deliberately creating cash flow disruptions to conceal the illicit gains, leading to money laundering charges.

The prosecution's request for a heavy sentence stems from Zhang's alleged abuse of his position, his systematic approach to fraud, and his continued denial of major charges, including assistant fee fraud and money laundering. They argue that his attitude is not conducive to rehabilitation and that a severe penalty is necessary to deter future misconduct.

“

Zhang Jun-jie, as the director of the legislative office, should have assisted the legislator in using public funds wisely and fulfilling public supervision, but instead used his position for personal gain.