New taipei: A ward chief candidate in New Taipei's Xinzhuang District was ordered held on NT$300,000 (US$9,515) bail on suspicion of vote buying after allegedly giving gifts of soy sauce and toothpaste to a local homeowners' association (HOA).
According to Focus Taiwan, the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office stated that it received a tip-off alleging that the candidate, surnamed Yeh, distributed a gift basket containing toothpaste, masks, cling film, and soy sauce to members of an apartment complex's management committee, allegedly aiming to gain their support.
Authorities, in collaboration with the New Taipei police, launched a task force to investigate the case. They conducted searches of Yeh's home and those of two local campaign organizers on Monday, while summoning 15 individuals for questioning, as noted in the statement.
Prosecutors indicated that the three individuals are suspected of breaching vote-buying regulations under the Public Officials Election and Recall Act, and requested the court to detain Yeh without communication privileges to prevent potential collusion or destruction of evidence.
However, in a ruling on Monday, the New Taipei District Court decided to set bail for Yeh and one organizer at NT$300,000 each, while the other organizer's bail was set at NT$500,000, according to the prosecutors.
In Taiwan, it is common for candidates to distribute low-value promotional items, such as pocket tissues and water bottles, worth less than NT$30 to voters. According to Legispedia, a legal information website, the NT$30 figure is not explicitly mentioned in Taiwan's election laws but serves as a guideline for prosecutors in deciding whether to pursue a case.
Taiwan's local elections, where voters will elect mayors, county chiefs, city and county councilors, township mayors and councilors, and ward chiefs, are scheduled for November 28.