TAIPEI (CNA) -- Former Tainan County Council Speaker Wu Chien-pao (吳健保), who fled Taiwan in 2014 after being convicted of fixing professional baseball games, was extradited back to Taiwan from the Philippines on Wednesday.
The 69-year-old Wu was escorted to Manila International Airport by Philippine law enforcement agents, who then turned him over to Taiwanese Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) personnel for the flight back to Taiwan.
He was arrested at a villa in Subic Bay on Jan. 16 following a collaborative effort between CIB agents and their Philippine counterparts, who had Wu under surveillance for over three months after receiving a tipoff on his whereabouts.
According to a Taiwanese businessman based in Subic Bay, Wu had been hiding in the area since late 2014 when Taiwan issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear to begin serving his prison term.
Wu's extradition follows two similar examples of cooperation that have occurred since the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on joint crime-fighting in March 2017.
In September 2018, Oren Shlomo Mayer, an American citizen suspected of murdering a Canadian national in New Taipei, was arrested in the Philippines and taken back to Taiwan through law enforcement cooperation.
In May 2018, Ricardo Parojinog, a fugitive Ozamiz City councilor wanted by Philippines authorities for possession of illegal firearms linked to the drug trade, was arrested in Pingtung County in southern Taiwan after hiding there for 10 months and sent back to the Philippines.
Ex-Tainan County Council speaker extradited from Manila back to Taiwan
Wu Chien-pao fled Taiwan in 2014 after being convicted of fixing professional baseball games
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