TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former DPP Legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) has been detained and held incommunicado for allegations of accepting bribes from a Keelung-based logistics company, United Logistics International Co., in exchange for advancing legislation that benefited the company.
Chen's detention comes as investigators searched 14 locations across northern Taiwan and brought in nine suspected accomplices for interrogation. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office alleges Chen accepted bribes, violated his duties as an elected official, and engaged in money laundering, per UDN.
Furthermore, prosecutors alleged Chen engaged in serious crimes and risked collusion with other suspects to destroy evidence.
Suspected accomplices released on bail include the former chair of ULIC Hong Cheng-ying (洪正英), for NT$3 million (US$100,000); Chen Ou-po's wife Hsu Hui-yu (徐慧諭), for NT$800,000; Chen's friend Hsu Ren-tu (許仁圖), former DPP deputy secretary-general, for NT$300,000; and ULIC accountant Yeh Chen-lin (葉珍琳), for NT$100,000.
Chen has proclaimed his innocence in the case alleged to have occurred during his second term in 2016-2020. The bribery case originated with a cargo ship striking ULIC containers and equipment at the Port of Keelung, causing major damage.
Taiwan’s Commercial Port Law at the time did not cover private logistics firms. This led ULIC to seek Chen's help to amend the Commercial Port Law to benefit the company.
Prosecutors allege Chen was given monthly payments of NT$50,000 beginning in 2018 to assist with the case, along with an additional NT$50,000 in consultancy fees paid to a dummy account controlled by Chen. Prosecutors and the Agency Against Corruption found similar funds under Chen's name with an unknown source of origin.
ULIC was established in 1999 and is the first private terminal and container distribution station operator in Keelung Port. Its businesses also include shipping agency services and overland container transportation.
In 2023, Chen was suspected of involvement in the im.B fraud case involving a P2P lending platform. He was accused of using vehicles and real estate provided by the mastermind of the fraud group, Tseng Yao-feng (曾耀鋒).
As a result of the charges, Chen decided to withdraw from the legislative election. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office concluded the im.B case against Tseng and 31 others last year, but Chen's involvement is still under investigation.
Chen requested a disciplinary investigation by the DPP, which cleared him of involvement in the im.B case in March.
