Taipei: The Shilin District Court has acquitted former Kuomintang (KMT) Central Standing Committee member Hsiao Ching-tien and 26 other defendants of vote buying charges. The court concluded that prosecutors failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the allegations.
According to Focus Taiwan, the court found that Hsiao's financial support for fellow KMT ward chiefs' campaigns in Taipei's Beitou and Shilin districts did not amount to vote buying. Hsiao, who attended the hearing, expressed gratitude to the judges for clearing his name and emphasized his lack of involvement in illegal activities. He also anticipated a possible appeal from the prosecution and thanked his supporters, urging investigators and prosecutors to uphold the presumption of innocence.
The Shilin District Prosecutors Office initiated the case based on claims that Hsiao and KMT Beitou District party office head Tseng Fan-chuan distributed envelopes containing campaign materials and cash totaling NT$110,000 (US$3,613) to ward chief candidates in Shilin and Beitou districts on November 22, 2022. In February 2023, prosecutors charged Hsiao, Tseng, and several ward chief candidates under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act.
The Shilin District Court issued its first-instance verdict after more than two years of proceedings and the conclusion of arguments. It determined that the cash-filled envelopes were from supporters pooling money to wish candidates well and that no evidence showed other defendants received any money. Testimony from KMT Taipei City party office head Huang Lu Chin-ju and others indicated that private sponsorship of ward chiefs' campaigns is common practice.
The court concluded that Hsiao's financial support and visits with Tseng, along with their efforts to rally support for all KMT city council candidates after a previous election loss, were normal party activities rather than unlawful vote buying.