Taiwan Recall Campaigns Under Scrutiny: Prosecutors Question Individuals in Taichung and Changhua

Investigation into Alleged Signature Falsification Deepens, Targeting Campaigns Across Party Lines.

Taichung, Taiwan – May 2: Prosecutors in Taichung and Changhua County questioned at least 10 individuals on Friday regarding alleged signature falsification related to recall campaigns against several lawmakers.

The Taichung District Prosecutors Office announced that the individuals are under investigation for potential violations of the Personal Data Protection Act and the Criminal Code, specifically concerning document falsification. The investigation centers on reports of falsified personal information on recall petitions targeting five lawmakers.

While the Prosecutors Office did not publicly name the targeted lawmakers or their party affiliations, various sources indicate the investigation involves recall campaigns against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) and Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純), as well as Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒), Liao Wei-hsiang (廖偉翔) and Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪).

Earlier Friday, searches were conducted at eight locations in Taichung and Changhua County, including the offices of one or more political parties, along with the residences and district offices of the individuals being questioned. The specific party or parties involved were not disclosed by prosecutors.

Yen Wen-cheng (顏文正), chairperson of the KMT Taichung Chapter, confirmed to the media that their office had been searched. He stated that the chapter is fully cooperating with prosecutors and police in the ongoing investigation, without providing further details.

KMT staff members Wu Kang-lung (伍康龍) and Yang Ta-wei (楊大緯) were among those taken in for questioning following the search.

The KMT Taichung Chapter issued a separate statement, affirming their respect for the judiciary's handling of the case. They emphasized the importance of the judiciary maintaining neutrality, fairness, and independence from political influence. The statement urged that "Judicial procedures should be based on facts and centered on evidence, and must not become a political tool used to suppress dissent or influence elections."

The raids in Taichung and Changhua followed similar actions recently taken by prosecutors in Taipei, New Taipei, and Keelung, which also targeted allegations of fraudulent signature collection, primarily within KMT campaigns seeking to recall DPP lawmakers.