TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Shilin District Court needed less than one hour Thursday to overturn a bail decision for Taipei City Councilor Chen E-jun (陳怡君), ordering her into detention.

The Democratic Progressive Party politician was accused of using friends and relatives to pocket more than NT$3 million (US$91,500) in government money destined for her aides. The court decided on Feb. 13 to release her on bail of NT$1 million, but prosecutors appealed.

Arriving at the court Thursday afternoon, Chen told media she was not the kind of person to steal funds, the Liberty Times reported. Prosecutors said that since 2019, she had been asking her brother, his wife, the sister of her office manager, and a former staffer to pose as aides to claim funds.

The court ordered her office manager to be detained last week, but allowed Chen out on condition she did not travel overseas nor move house. Prosecutors said there was a risk that she might contact aides, so they filed an appeal. The court ruled Thursday that Chen would be held incommunicado.

The decision happened as investigators in Kaohsiung questioned DPP Legislator Lin Tai-hua (林岱樺) about similar allegations.