Ex-Premier Su questioned over possible bribery scandal

The other four people interrogated were incumbent Tainan County Magistrate Su Huan-chih, former deputy defense minister Tsai Ming-hsien, secretary general Lin Chih-chia of the Taiwan Solidarity Union, and Lawmaker Liu Sheng-liang of the opposition Kuomintang.

Former Minister Chan Chi-hsien of the Cabinet-level Department of Health and incumbent president of Chi Mei Foundation Medical Center in Tainan County and former Lawmaker Chou Chuan of the KMT failed to appear to face interrogations although they were also summoned.

Prosecutors moved to investigate the case after they were tipped that some NT$30 million in funds of the said association might have been illegally used to bribe lawmakers to revise the law governing the prescriptions by suppliers of Chinese herbal medicines.

In April, the Supreme Prosecutors Office set up a special investigation unit, and assigned Prosecutor Lin Chi-hui to deal with the case. On Wednesday, six former and incumbent lawmakers were also questioned and then released, including former legislators Liao Fu-ben and Lin Kuang-hua and incumbent lawmakers Chao Yung-ching, Chiu Tsui-chen, and Li Chun-yi of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, as well Hsu Su-po of the opposition Kuomintang.

Prosecutors told the press conference that when the alleged scandal occurred, the Political Donations Law had not yet been enacted, and therefore there was no ceiling limit on the amount of political donations elected people’s representatives can accept from individual or corporate donors.

Prosecutors continued that they investigated relevant lawmakers mainly to see if they had received “money” from the herbal medicine association, if they had know the exact amount of money they took, and whether such a “deal” has anything to do with the amendment of the herbal medicine law.

After the questioning session, former Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters that he did receive a donation of NT$100,000 from the Chinese herbal medicine association when campaigning for the Taipei county magistrate election, adding that such a donation was carried out legally.

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