New taipei: Three individuals, including the head of the Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant, have been indicted on corruption charges. The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office announced the indictment on Friday, implicating the plant's director, Tseng Wen-huang, and two others in a bribery scheme. Meanwhile, a businessman surnamed Tsao, who allegedly facilitated the bribes, received a deferred prosecution.
According to Focus Taiwan, Tseng assumed leadership of the Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant in January 2024, after it ceased operations in 2023 due to the end of its 40-year service life. Under Tseng's direction, the plant completed an upgrade to its control system, a contract previously awarded to Tsao. Prosecutors allege that on February 1, 2024, Tseng solicited a NT$2 million bribe from Tsao to expedite the project's acceptance check, an offer to which Tsao agreed.
In a subsequent meeting on June 13, Tsao reportedly negotiated with Tseng to reduce the bribe amount to NT$1.6 million. By August, Tsao delivered the money outside Tseng's apartment in Keelung, which Tseng allegedly concealed in a hidden compartment at his residence.
Further allegations indicate that in June 2024, Tsao secured another contract for a new SCADA system. Prosecutors claim Tseng demanded an additional NT$200,000, with the payment made upon the project's completion in January 2025.
Prosecutors also implicated another businessman, surnamed Hao, in the bribery scheme. Tsao allegedly encouraged Hao to bid on a NT$7 million tender for automated sandblasters, with the understanding of expected bribes to Tseng. Hao reportedly paid Tseng NT$200,000 on two occasions, in March and April 2025.
Hao's connections extended to Chu Yun-chung, director of the Linkou Power Plant, who also faced indictment on Friday. Chu allegedly assisted Hao in winning a tender at the Linkou plant in 2019, for which he received a NT$500,000 reward. Additionally, Hao provided Chu with a NT$300,000 bribe for another project in 2020.
Despite the allegations, Tsao admitted his involvement and expressed remorse, offering a comprehensive account that aided the investigation. As a result, prosecutors granted Tsao a deferred prosecution for two years, contingent on a NT$1.5 million payment to the national treasury. An investigation into the corruption case was initiated earlier this year.