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Chiayi County
commissioner, professors indicted
By Rich Chang / Staff reporter
Chiayi County Commissioner Helen
Chang talks during a public event yesterday saying that she has done nothing
wrong and has nothing to be afraid of after being indicted by Kaohsiung
prosecutors along with her sister, Chang Ying-chi on charges of corruption,
violating the Government Procurement Act and leaking confidential information in
three separate cases.
Photo: CNA
Kaohsiung prosecutors yesterday indicted
Chiayi County Commissioner Helen Chang (張花冠), a member of the Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP), and her sister, Chang Ying-chi (張瑛姬), on charges of
corruption, violating the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法) and leaking
confidential information in three separate cases.
The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office said it suspected that Helen Chang
and Chang Ying-chi received more than NT$7 million (US$240,000) from their
involvement in the cases.
Chang Ying-chi was a deputy secretary-general of the county’s trade and
investment promotion association, a non-profit organization partly funded by the
county government.
A total of 21 people, mostly contractors and university professors, were also
indicted in the case.
Prosecutors said the commissioner was suspected of leaking confidential
information to Chun Lung Development Co during the bidding process for the
Dapumei Intelligent Industrial Park at the Dapumei Herbs Park in July last year,
a build-operate-transfer (BOT) project, in exchange for helping the developer
win the tender.
Prosecutors also suspected that the county government’s environmental bureau
conducted more than 30 irregular public bids, which cost the county more than
NT$100 million.
According to prosecutors, Chang Ying-chi and Chiu Feng-ming (邱豐銘), an official
of the county government’s department of overall planning, planned more than 30
environmental projects, while several professors from various colleges are
suspected of approving the projects without maintaining a neutral position as
members of an evaluation process.
The professors, who are suspected of taking bribes from contractors bidding for
the projects, allegedly distributed some of the money to Chang Ying-chi and
Chiu.
National Open University’s professor Wu Ming-ching (吳銘圳), Kaohsiung First
University of Science and Technology professor Lin Jui-min (林銳敏), National Sun
Yat-sen University professor Lou Jie-chiung (樓基中) and National Pingtung
University of Science and Technology professor Chang Kuo-ching (張國慶) were
indicted.
According to the prosecutors, the county government in May last year conducted a
procurement project for garbage trucks and recycling vehicles.
The county government allegedly allowed a contractor surnamed Chen (陳) to win
the project tender, after which Helen Chang allegedly received NT$1.9 million in
kickbacks.
Commenting on the case, the DPP yesterday called for the judiciary to conduct a
thorough investigation and not to do Helen Chang an injustice.
“We hope that the judiciary will not handle different cases with double
standards and urge the investigators to do their best to seek the whole truth,”
DPP spokesman Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) said.
In line with the DPP’s regulations, Chang would not be reprimanded by the party
yet, despite being indicted, Wang added.
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