TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei City Councilor Chen Chung-wen (陳重文) was freed on bail of NT$8 million (US$251,000) Tuesday (Oct. 1) after being charged in a kickback scandal involving a cloud-based surveillance system for the city government.
The Kuomintang (KMT) politician will stay under electronic supervision and not be allowed to leave his Beitou home or Taiwan during the next eight months, the Liberty Times reported. He was charged in July and spent seven months and 10 days in detention.
Chen allegedly received NT$3.21 million in illegal profits through a firm he set up with a friend as a subcontractor to benefit from contracts between the city and Taiwan Intelligent Fiber Optic Network Consortium (Taifo).
In 2023, Chen reportedly pressured Taipei’s Department of Social Welfare into selecting Taifo for a surveillance project in city-run nursing care homes, which involved his company as a subcontractor.
While the Taipei District Court agreed with Chen’s attorney that the investigation had been completed and there was no risk of his client destroying evidence or colluding with witnesses, prosecutors said they would appeal the bail decision, per CNA.
Chen promised to appear at a court hearing scheduled on Oct. 8. He argued his release was necessary to allow him to spend more time with his attorney to prepare for the hearing.