《TAIPEI TIMES》TPP fraud suspects released on bail

STANCE:The controversial account items in the TPP’s campaign finance reporting were due to ‘simple mistakes’ when the figures were recorded, the party’s spokesperson said

By Chen Tsai-ling, Wang Ting-chuan, Lin Chen-yuan, Chen Tsai-ling, Kayleigh Madjar and Jason Pan / Staff reporters, with staff writer

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Suspects in an investigation into accounting firms and companies linked to the Taiwan People’s Party （TPP） were released on bail yesterday morning, a day after being questioned over allegations of fraud in campaign finance reporting.

Tuanmu Cheng （端木正）, an accountant at Jing Hua CPA （精華會計師事務所） who was contracted by the TPP to handle financial reporting for TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je’s （柯文哲） presidential bid, was released on bail of NT$1 million （US$30,945）.

The amount was lowered after being initially set at NT$2 million.

Lee Wen-chuan （李文娟）, director of marketing firm Muko （木可行銷公關）, which handled events and merchandising for the campaign, was released on bail of NT$1.5 million.

They have been barred from leaving the country and are to wear electronic surveillance monitors.

Both are under investigation for forgery after discrepancies were found in TPP reporting of campaign payments to marketing firms.

The party earlier this week said that mistakes were made in 17 campaign finance declarations totaling about NT$18 million.

Tuanmu’s assistant Chen Wei-hsuan （陳韋瑄） and Muko accountant Ho Ai-ting （何璦廷） have also been named as suspects. Chen was released without bail, while Ho was released on bail of NT$500,000.

Figures within the TPP have blamed Legislator Vivian Huang （黃珊珊） for the situation and have demanded that she resign as a lawmaker.

Former TPP legislator Tsai Pi-ju （蔡壁如）, a former aide to Ko , told reporters that Huang must take full responsibility for the scandal, as she was executive director of Ko’s campaign office for January’s election.

The party’s Central Evaluation Committee is to meet today to discuss the issue.

Huang, who was a Taipei deputy mayor from 2018 to 2022 while Ko was mayor of the capital, on Wednesday resigned as a member of the TPP Central Standing Committee.

“The case is being investigated and we should wait for the legal process to conclude,” Huang said. “I will respect any decision that the Central Evaluation Committee makes.”

TPP officials said that Tuanmu was in charge of the campaign expenses accounting and filing declarations to the Control Yuan, while Tuanmu has rejected accusations of wrongdoing.

Among the controversial account items was a campaign receipt for an order of boxed lunches from a Taipei restaurant totaling NT$960,110.

TPP spokeswoman Celina Wu （吳怡萱） said that there was a simple mistake when the figures were recorded.

“Actually, it was two receipts, one for NT$960 and another for NT$110, but they were mistakenly combined as NT$960,110,” Wu said. “We were also puzzled by the error.”

One receipt was dated last year and the other was from this year.

Wu said that it was unclear how the accountant had dealt with them.

“We are not sure if he filed the receipts together or separately in two declarations,” she said. “We will check the campaign expense declaration filed with the Control Yuan.”

Internet personality Liu Yu （劉宇）, also known as Si Cha-mao （四叉貓）, yesterday spoke with employees at the restaurant.

Liu said that the employees told him the restaurant is only open on weekdays, but the receipts showed that the sales took place on weekends.

The TPP needs to explain this discrepancy, he said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES