TANGLED WEB:The 58 include KMT Legislator Chien Tung-ming and members of his campaign team, as well as residents who admitted to taking money for their votes
Taipei Times
Date: Mar 17, 2016
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter
Pingtung County prosecutors indicted Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Aboriginal Legislator Chien Tung-ming (簡東明) and 57 other people on election law violations and vote-buying charges yesterday, after wrapping up a nearly two-month-long investigation.
The indictment was another strike against Chien, after prosecutors filed a court application on Feb. 19 as part of an investigation into vote-buying to nullify his election in the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections.
Lawmakers yesterday discussed options on how to fill the potential vacancy should Chien be found guilty in the Pingtung District Prosecutors’ Office case, which would cause him to lose his seat in the legislature, including awarding the seat to the Aboriginal candidate with the next-highest number of votes or holding a by-election.
Also indicted were Ma Chao-ming (馬昭明), director of the KMT’s local chapter in Pingtung’s Sandimen Township (三地門), and Wang Jung-yi (王榮儀), director of the KMT’s local chapter in Pingtung’s Majia Township (瑪家).
The 58 indicted also included other local KMT members, members of Chien’s campaign and residents who admitted to having taken money in exchange for votes for Chien. [FULL STORY]