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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Crime & Justice

Yen Kuan-heng Fraud Case: Retrial Begins

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Taiwanese legislator Yen Kuan-heng faces a retrial on charges of defrauding assistant fees, after the Supreme Court overturned previous guilty verdicts.
  • Yen and his alleged co-conspirator deny the charges, asserting that the assistant was legally hired and that funds were used for personal expenses.
  • The case involves allegations of misappropriating over NT$1 million (approximately $31,000 USD) for personal use, including car purchases and living expenses.

Taiwanese legislator Yen Kuan-heng is undergoing a retrial for allegedly defrauding assistant fees, following a Supreme Court decision to overturn earlier guilty verdicts.

The case centers on accusations that Yen, a member of the Kuomintang party, used a person named Lin Chin-fu as a nominal assistant to claim public funds between 2018 and 2019. Prosecutors allege that Yen misappropriated over NT$1 million (approximately $31,000 USD) in salary and year-end bonuses, using the funds for personal expenses such as purchasing a car, paying health insurance premiums, and covering housing costs.

I believe the case will come to light and clear my name.

— Yen Kuan-hengThe legislator expressed his confidence in the judicial process during the preparatory hearing.

During the preparatory hearing at the Taichung High Court, Yen maintained his innocence, stating he respects the judicial process and believes the truth will prevail. He asserted that Lin Chin-fu was a legally hired public assistant and denied any wrongdoing. Lin Chin-fu also testified that he performed assistant duties and controlled his own salary, with no funds flowing to Yen.

Lin Chin-fu was indeed hired according to the law as a public assistant.

— Yen Kuan-hengYen's defense team argued that the assistant was legitimately employed.

Previous rulings by lower courts had found Yen guilty of jointly defrauding public funds through abuse of his official position, sentencing him to 7 years and 10 months in prison, along with the deprivation of civil rights for three years. Lin Chin-fu received a sentence of 7 years and 8 months.

However, the Supreme Court identified inconsistencies in the evidence, particularly regarding whether Lin Chin-fu actually performed assistant duties. It also questioned the procedural fairness of the investigation and the admissibility of Yen's statements, prompting the decision to remand the case for retrial.

I did indeed perform assistant work, and all my salary was under my own control and never flowed to Yen Kuan-heng.

— Lin Chin-fuThe alleged nominal assistant testified to his role and financial independence.
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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