Taiwanese Councilor Arrested for Alleged Bribery in Solar Project Extortion

Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen Ming-tse, a prominent six-term legislator from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), faces detention and a ban on communication following his arrest in a bribery investigation. The charges involve alleged extortion related to waste disposal contracts for solar power projects.

Prosecutors accuse Chen of leveraging his political influence to interfere with lucrative waste removal projects. He reportedly threatened solar power developers with local protests and construction disruptions if they did not award the contracts to his designated operators. The investigation suggests Chen employed a construction entrepreneur, identified as Chuang Chia-hsiang, as a "middleman" to facilitate the alleged illicit gains.

Initial findings indicate Chen may have profited at least NT$5 million (approximately $150,000 USD) from these activities. Investigators have identified at least two solar power sites affected by Chen's alleged scheme. The case has sent shockwaves through the local political scene, particularly as Chen had recently announced he would not seek re-election after more than two decades in office, preparing to pass the baton.

Chen, who has represented the Qieding, Hunei, Luzhu, and Tianliao districts since 2002, starting from the Kaohsiung County Council, was arrested along with eight other individuals. A court ordered Chen and Chuang to be detained and barred from communicating with others, though they can appeal the decision. The investigation is ongoing.