TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Hsinchu District Court on Monday acquitted Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke (楊文科) of corruption charges in a case tied to a series of sinkholes that emerged near a Fong Yi Construction project in Zhubei between 2022 and 2023.
The recurring sinkholes prompted a criminal investigation into the construction project and the county government's handling of the incident, per UP Media.
In its ruling, the court acquitted Yang but convicted former Hsinchu County Public Works Department Director Chiang Liang-yuan (江良淵) of corruption and possession of assets of unexplained origin, per Liberty Times. Processing clerk Huang Yu-ssu (黃彧思) was also convicted of corruption. Executives at Fong Yi Construction were found guilty of violating construction regulations, falsifying business documents and inducing witnesses to give false testimony.
Chiang was sentenced to six years and six months in prison and barred from holding public office for four years. Huang was sentenced to five years and two months in prison and prohibited from holding public office for three years.
Explaining Yang's acquittal, the court said the decision to allow Fong Yi Construction to resume work fell within the professional discretion of the Public Works Department, per UDN. It added that the sinkhole task force established by Yang served only in an advisory capacity and that the department was not required to wait for the task force's final report before allowing construction to resume.
The court said Chiang and Huang were convicted because they permitted Fong Yi Construction to continue work after a stop-work order had been issued, per UDN. It also found that Chiang possessed NT$14.8 million (US$460,023) in assets of unexplained origin and provided false explanations about the money during questioning.
Responding to the verdict, Yang said the ruling had proven his and the administration's innocence, per UP Media. He said he had not shielded construction companies but had instead sought to hold Fong Yi Construction accountable and had requested independent oversight of construction safety.
Yang also expressed support for Chiang and Huang in appealing their convictions, per TVBS.
NPP Chair Wang Wan-yu (王婉諭) questioned why Yang was the only defendant acquitted, per Liberty Times. She said Yang had met with representatives of Fong Yi Construction more than 33 times since 2015 and had accepted the use of a campaign headquarters worth millions of Taiwan dollars from the company.
DPP Hsinchu County Councilor Ou Yang Ting (歐陽霆) said Yang's acquittal did not mean his administration bore no responsibility for the incident, per Liberty Times. Ou Yang accused the magistrate of legally shifting responsibility onto his subordinates.
TPP Zhubei mayoral candidate Chiu Chen-yuan (邱臣遠) said the verdict would not ease public concern over the repeated sinkholes, per TVBS. He called on the county government to propose concrete measures to address the controversy.
