The former representative of Taiwan to Macau, Chen Hsueh-huai, was detained and questioned as part of a sweeping anti-corruption operation by the island’s authorities. The investigation also targets his brother, Kuomintang (KMT) lawmaker Chen Hsueh-sheng.
According to Formosan media outlets, Hsueh-huai—who headed Taiwan’s representative office in Macau from 2017 to 2019 before returning to work as chief of staff in his brother’s office—was released on a bail of NT$100,000 (approximately €3,100).
The case forms part of an investigation led by the Taipei District Prosecutors Office, which suspects fraud and corruption involving phantom parliamentary assistant salaries and improper benefits granted by maritime shipping companies.
On Monday, inspectors from Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau conducted searches across 35 locations, including the lawmaker’s residence, his legislative office, and the offices of shipping firms such as Kin Hsing Marine Co. and Peace Shipping Agency Ltd.
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A total of 27 individuals were brought in for questioning. Among them was Chen Hsueh-sheng, who was released on a bail of NT$2 million (€62,800), alongside several family members and associates whose bail amounts ranged between NT$80,000 (roughly €2,300) and NT$500,000 (roughly €14,600). Over 10 suspects were released without further restrictions.
According to prosecutors, Chen Hsueh-sheng is under investigation for allegedly accepting bribes from Kin Hsing Marine in exchange for pressuring the state-owned CPC Corp., Taiwan, to prematurely terminate a fuel transport contract. The arrangement reportedly allowed the shipping firm to avoid costs associated with replacing a damaged vessel in 2019. The lawmaker denies accepting bribes or exerting improper pressure.
The investigation, which combines two separate cases originally opened in Kaohsiung and Taipei, also examines suspicions that relatives of Chen were listed as ghost assistants to collect official salaries, and that private company employees worked inside his legislative office as an unlawful benefit.
Taiwan’s official representative office in Macau oversees bilateral relations between Taipei and the Special Administrative Region, handling tasks such as processing visas for foreign nationals, issuing entry and exit permits for residents of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and promoting economic and cultural exchanges.
