2026 Elections: Man held over fake vote-buying claim involving beer case
By Wang Chun-chi and Fion Khan / Staff reporter, with staff writer
A man suspected of filing a fabricated vote-buying report against a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Yilan County councilor candidate has been detained and held incommunicado, prosecutors said. He is first person arrested on suspicion of falsely reporting electoral bribery this year.
The Yilan District Court yesterday granted a request by the Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office to detain a 22-year-old suspect, surnamed Lin (林), who allegedly sought to claim a large reward by staging electoral bribery, on suspicion of fraud, false accusation and forgery, they said.
Lin allegedly bought a 24-pack of Taiwan Beer and called an election bribery hotline to falsely report it as attempted vote-buying.
The entrance to the Yilan District Prosecutors’ Office is pictured in an undated photograph.
Photo: Taipei Times
He said he had found the beer outside his front door when returning home early in the morning, with KMT Yilan County councilor candidate Huang Chien-yung’s (黃建勇) name written on it, before handing the beer over to prosecutors and police as evidence.
After reviewing surveillance footage from nearby intersections, investigators found that Lin had bought the beer at a chain store and then written Huang’s name on the box with a marker himself, prosecutors said.
Officers from the Jiaosi precinct obtained a warrant and detained Lin in for questioning, they said.
During questioning, Lin repeatedly said he “had forgotten” or “did not know,” according to police.
Prosecutors sought his detention, citing strong suspicion of fraud, false accusation, forgery evidence, forging signatures and perjury, as well as the risk that he might destroy evidence, they said.
Huang, who is running in Jhuangwei Township (壯圍), thanked prosecutors for their thorough investigation and clearing his name, saying he had not given away any beer.
Informants who report cases of electoral bribery involving county councilor candidates are eligible for NT$2 million (US$60,905), the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau’s Web site showed.
One-quarter of the reward, or NT$500,000, is paid after an indictment is issued and is not subject to recovery, it said.
Another quarter is paid after the first ruling, with the remaining half paid once the verdict becomes final, it said.
More than 10 alleged incidents of vote-buying received through the hotline are under investigation, Yilan prosecutors said.
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