TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Shilin District Prosecutors Office on Tuesday indicted DPP Taipei City Councilor Chen Yi-chung (陳怡君) and her assistant Chang Hui-lin (張惠霖) for defrauding government assistant subsidies and accepting bribes from construction firms.
Prosecutors allege that Chen and Chang falsely listed relatives as council assistants to illegally obtain NT$3.8 million (US$128,100) in government funds, including forging signatures to process the claims, per CNA. The funds were reportedly used for personal rent and stock investments.
Authorities have confiscated the ill-gotten gains and are recommending leniency in sentencing, citing full confessions by Chen, Chang, and their relatives.
In addition to the subsidy fraud, the pair allegedly accepted NT$700,000 in bribes from construction companies, per Up Media. Prosecutors say Chen used her position to pressure Taipei agencies into granting favors for the firms.
Chen's political future is in jeopardy. A local insider told UDN that she is unlikely to secure the DPP’s nomination for the 2026 local elections, as party voters tend to be particularly sensitive to corruption-related scandals. The source also noted that her recent alignment with former President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) faction may have contributed to the scrutiny.
A DPP insider told UDN that under President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) leadership, Chen is likely to face suspension or expulsion from the party following the indictment. If removed, she would need to run as an independent in any future bid for reelection.
