New Taipei village chief hopeful released on bail after vote-buying probe
A candidate for village chief in New Taipei's Taishan District was freed on NT$100,000 bail and barred from leaving Taiwan as prosecutors investigate alleged vote-buying through free haircuts and douhua.
The New Taipei District Prosecutors Office announced that a village chief hopeful in Taishan District, surnamed Chen, was detained and later released on NT$100,000 bail after a probe into possible vote-buying. Investigators allege Chen hosted a Father's Day gathering where participants received free haircuts and bowls of douhua, a dessert, valued at roughly NT$50, actions they view as attempts to sway voters. Prosecutor Fang Yu-ting and the New Taipei Police Department's Criminal Investigation Corps conducted a home search and summoned Chen along with ten other individuals for questioning.
Following the inquiry, prosecutors determined a likely violation of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act and imposed travel restrictions. Such low-value gifts are common in Taiwanese campaigns, though the NT$30 threshold cited by prosecutors is not codified in law. The case unfolds as Taiwan prepares for local elections on Nov. 28, where positions from mayors to village chiefs will be contested.
