Former New Taipei mayor detained for alleged corruption
Central News Agency
2015-07-30 09:00 AM
Taipei, July 30 (CNA) Former New Taipei City deputy mayor Hsu Chih-chien was ordered detained Thursday for allegedly taking bribes from two real estate developers in return for favorable treatment of their applications to take part in urban regeneration projects in the northern municipality.
The Taipei District Court granted prosecutors' request for Hsu and Chou Li-hui, who has been described as a go-between, to be detained on the grounds of the seriousness of the alleged crime and a need to prevent collusion.
A total of 13 people, including Hsu's son and older brother, executives of the companies involved -- Formosa 21 Construction Co.and Le Young Construction Co., were questioned Wednesday by prosecutors investigating alleged corruption in the two urban regeneration projects first proposed in 2010.
The two proposals have yet to receive final approval.
Hsu stepped down as deputy mayor in June last year. When he was in office, he doubled as director-general of New Taipei city government's urban renewal project review committee and deputy director-general of the city's urban planning committee.
The 64-year-old expert on urban planning is accused of taking NT$4 million (US$127,000) in cash, gold bars and Swiss-made watches from the developers. In return, he allegedly guided the review committee toward decisions favorable to the two companies in addition to speeding up the review process.
The news of the former official's alleged corruption received prominent treatment in the newspapers Thursday, with the reports noting that he was a trusted aide of not only New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu but also President Ma Ying-jeou when he was mayor of Taipei City.
(By Paige Tsai and Jay Chen)
