TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) faced questioning about Chinese infiltration but was freed on bail of NT$1 million (US$32,000), reports said Wednesday (Jan. 10).

Chang, 60, was the highest-ranking politician or former politician so far to become involved in allegations of collusion with China during the run-up to Saturday’s (Jan. 13) elections. Over the past few months, mostly local politicians and neighborhood officials faced investigations into trips to China thought to be designed to influence the elections.

Chang served as a legislator for the People First Party (PFP) and as special deputy minister at the MAC, but was sacked in 2014 amid allegations he had leaked confidential information to China. However, investigators later dropped charges against him.

In the latest incident, prosecutors raided Chang’s home in Kaohsiung City’s Zuoying District and questioned him overnight, before a court decided on bail. The suspicions against the former politician arose from a Qiaotou District Prosecutors Office probe into fake opinion polls made by an association of new residents and a small political party, the Liberty Times reported.

Prosecutors suspected Chang had broken the Anti-Infiltration Act and the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act. He reportedly denied the allegations, but investigators did not reveal any details.

Chang now serves as the chair of the Cross-Strait Roundtable Forum Association, per CNA.