Pingtung: Details have emerged regarding the capture of Hsu Han, the former head of CPC Corp.'s refinery division, who disappeared just days before being sentenced to 25 years for corruption. Two individuals suspected of assisting in his escape have also been apprehended.
According to Focus Taiwan, Hsu vanished on March 19 after removing his ankle monitor in Pingtung's Wanluan Township. He was sentenced by the Ciaotou District Court on Monday and apprehended by authorities the following day. Ciaotou Deputy Chief Prosecutor Yen Yu-shan revealed that Hsu traveled from Kaohsiung to Pingtung on public transport before discarding his monitor by the Chaozhou Bridge, where it was later recovered from the Donggang River.
A swift investigation led to the detention of a female acquaintance, surnamed Lin, whose home was searched by authorities. It was found that Hsu and Lin had made several trips to Wanluan, possibly to plan his escape. Hsu was then transported to the Kinchen Mountain area by another accomplice, a male friend also surnamed Lin.
Yen stated that Hsu's hideout was discovered at a rural bed and breakfast in Taitung County, where officers posing as tourists apprehended him. Over NT$200,000 in cash was found with Hsu. The isolated property was closed for repairs, but the owner allowed Hsu and Lin to stay after being told Hsu needed a place to recuperate.
The bed and breakfast owner, who remained anonymous, described the unusual behavior of the two men, who wore masks and stayed secluded. They were eventually captured when police arrived at the scene. During the arrest, Hsu complied with officers, though he claimed to have heart disease.
Following his arrest, the Ciaotou District Court placed Hsu in incommunicado detention pending further charges. According to a United Daily News report, prosecutors are investigating if Lin acted under orders from a criminal group, and whether Hsu initially intended to flee the country but chose to hide in the mountains instead. Hsu was convicted on multiple corruption charges, including accepting significant bribes from CPC contractors.