Taiwan News
Date: 2016-03-16
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kuomintang legislator Chien Tung-ming and 57 other people were indicted Wednesday for their alleged involvement in vote-buying during the campaign for the January 16 elections.

Chien, an indigenous politician also known as Uliw Qaljupayare, is one of only 35 KMT candidates who won election to the 113-seat Legislative Yuan.

Last January, the directors of the KMT offices in two small villages in Pingtung County were detained on suspicion they bought votes for Chien, but since then, prosecutors investigated further and came to the conclusion that the politician himself was also involved, reports said.

The list of the 58 persons charged included Chien, the two KMT officials, as well as many campaign workers and the citizens who accepted the money for their votes, prosecutors said.

Chien denied the accusations, saying that money found by investigators was destined to pay campaign officials, not to buy off voters. He apologized for causing his supporters so much trouble and said he was convinced that in the end, the judiciary would prove him right.     [FULL  STORY]