TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The accountant charged with facilitating illegal campaign donations and accepting bribes for former Taiwan People's Party presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) pled not guilty in Taipei on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Tuanmu Cheng (端木正) knew of imbalances in Ko’s campaign accounts, covered up fraudulent spending records, and falsified an audit submitted to the Control Yuan, per CNA. He is charged with offenses including breaching public trust and other crimes under the Anti-Corruption Act.
Cheng denied the charges at Taipei District Court, saying former TPP campaign finance chief Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗) asked him to issue the documents prosecutors say were falsified. He also said he entrusted his assistant Chen Wei-hsuan (陳韋瑄) to handle donations to Ko’s campaign and blamed Chen's overtime pay for some of the accounting errors.
Cheng also blamed Muko Public Relations Company staff, which managed publicity for Ko's campaign. He said he asked Muko head, Lee Wen-chuan (李文娟), and assistant, Ho Ai-ting (何璦廷,) to process audit reports according to the law. Cheng alleged the pair deleted messages of this evidence.
When charging Cheng, prosecutors noted his 23 years as an accountant and his denial of guilt. They asked that he be sentenced to one year in prison.
Meanwhile, Ko faces over 28 years in prison for charges related to donations and a property development scheme while he was Taipei mayor. Prosecutors also charged Lee Wen-tsung and Lee Wen-chuan with bribery-related offenses concerning the case of the donation.
The Control Yuan fined Ko NT$3.74 million (US$113,000) for breaking the Political Donations Act on Wednesday.
