TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taipei City Government official being investigated for allegedly taking bribes from stores in exchange for favorable inspection reports of their facilities was found dead in the Keelung River on Thursday (July 23).

Construction Management Office official Tseng Hua-chung (曾華崇) was accused of taking bribes from New CB Party KTV and a Carrefour hypermart for sanctioning their unlicensed freight lifts and elevators, respectively. He was granted bail pending further investigation.

Taipei City Fire Department received reports at 1:45 p.m. that the body of a male about 60 years old was seen floating in the Keelung River near the Nanhu Bridge. The deceased was later identified as Tseng, according to CNA.

Tseng had received a notification from the prosecutor's office on Wednesday that they were going to question him with regard to the bribery case on Thursday. He reportedly told his supervisor on Wednesday that he was going to take a leave of absence to consult with his lawyer and left the city government building in the afternoon.

His family reported him missing on Wednesday night.

Police initially ruled out foul play as a cause of death as there were no signs of trauma to the body, per CNA.

The Construction Management Office said Tseng, who joined the office in 2007, was married and had children. The prosecutors’ office will perform an autopsy on Friday to determine the cause of death, according to the report.