Former DPP Taipei City Councilor Tong Chung-yen Convicted of Assistant Fee Fraud; Sentenced to 3 Years and 10 Months by Supreme Court

On February 16, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of China delivered the final verdict on the 'assistant fee fraud' case involving Tong Chung-yen, a former member of the Taipei City Council representing the Democratic Progressive Party. The court rejected his appeal, finalizing a sentence of three years and ten months in prison and two years of deprivation of civil rights under the charge of 'utilizing official opportunity to defraud property' in the Anti-Corruption Act. Investigation revealed that during his tenure as a Taipei City Councilor, Tong used a man surnamed Tsai as a dummy assistant in 2011 to defraud the Taipei City Council of government subsidies for councilor assistants and Lunar New Year bonuses, totaling NT$51,842. While the Taipei District Court originally sentenced him to seven years and six months in prison, the High Court subsequently reduced the term to three years and ten months. The reduction was granted under Article 59 of the Criminal Code ('extenuating circumstances') because the defrauded amount was relatively small and a portion had indeed been used for voter services. Tong's subsequent appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court. Although Tong had left the Democratic Progressive Party prior to the trial due to other controversies, this verified act of defrauding public funds remains a significant stain on the integrity of local green-camp politicians. The final verdict reflects the judicial branch's zero-tolerance policy toward corruption by public officials at any level and serves as a strict warning regarding the expense claim system for councilor assistants in local councils of the Republic of China.