KMT Taipei Councilor Indicted for Alleged Assistant Subsidy Fraud

Taipei: Taipei prosecutors on Friday indicted Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Lee Fu Chung-wu and six others on corruption and document forgery charges over an alleged NT$9.77 million (US$306,000) assistant subsidy fraud scheme. According to Focus Taiwan, Lee Fu and his wife, who managed personnel and financial matters at his council office, allegedly used relatives and acquaintances as "ghost assistants" to fraudulently claim government-funded assistant subsidies. The couple is accused of inflating reported salaries to secure these funds. The investigation, which began in March, revealed that the couple reportedly registered three individuals as assistants who did not perform any work, thereby receiving subsidies totaling approximately NT$5.76 million. Additionally, prosecutors allege that the couple overstated the salaries of two relatives listed as office staff, paying them less than the reported amounts and improperly claiming another NT$4 million in subsidies. Lee Fu and his wife were identifie d as the main suspects in the case. Prosecutors noted that the couple admitted to the wrongdoing during the investigation and returned the full amount of the alleged illegal gains. Consequently, prosecutors have requested the court to consider reducing their sentences. The seven defendants, including Lee Fu, his wife, and several relatives, face charges of using an official position to obtain property under the Anti-Corruption Act and falsifying documents. Lee Fu, an Atayal who represents Taipei's Highland Indigenous constituency, has been serving on the Taipei City Council since 2010, following a career as a police officer before entering politics.