Lawmaker Kao Chin indicted on national security, corruption charges – Focus Taiwan

Lawmaker Kao Chin indicted on national security, corruption charges  Focus Taiwan

Independent lawmaker Kao Chin Su-mei (高金素梅) and three others were indicted Friday on national security and corruption charges over allegations that they carried out activities on Beijing's behalf with Chinese funding. Taipei, Nov. 6 (CNA) Independent lawmaker Kao Chin Su-mei (高金素梅) and three others were indicted Friday on national security and corruption charges over allegations that they carried out activities on Beijing's behalf with Chinese funding. In a statement, the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office said Kao Chin, her former legislative office director Chang Chun-chieh (張俊傑), and two publicly funded legislative assistants, Chen Chih-huang (陳智葟) and Lin Yi-chun (林怡君), were indicted on charges of violating the National Security Act and accepting bribes under the Anti-Corruption Act.

According to prosecutors, between 2005 and 2016, Chang and Chen coordinated Kao Chin's election campaigns, legislative work and outreach to Indigenous communities. Lin allegedly acted as an intermediary for Kao Chin and Chang, traveling between Taiwan and China to receive instructions from Chinese officials and relay them to others. Prosecutors alleged that Chang openly accepted Chinese donations for infrastructure projects in Indigenous communities while secretly channeling more than NT$170 million (US$5.17 million) in Chinese funding through accounts belonging to relatives and friends. The money was allegedly used to develop an organization on behalf of Chinese government agencies and support Kao Chin's reelection campaigns. Prosecutors also