Tzu Chi was defrauded of NT$1 billion and the cash seized was short of NT$300,000? Bureau of Investigation clarifies: clerical error is not lost

When the Beiji Station of the Bureau of Investigation was recently investigating a NT$1.06 billion fraud case involving Tzu Chi, it was revealed that there was a shortage of NT$300,000 in cash seized.

The Northern Area Mobile Work Station (Beijing Station) of the Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice is known as the "No. 1 Team in the World" and has been investigating major cases for many years. However, some media reported that during the recent investigation of a NT$1.06 billion fraud case involving Tzu Chi, a shortage of NT$300,000 in seized cash was revealed. The Bureau of Investigation clarified that it was not the missing cash but a clerical error in the publication. It has conducted an internal review of the error and is conducting an administrative investigation.

The Taichung District Prosecutor's Office directed the Beiji Station to investigate the case, and in August this year, 17 people including Chen Yuxuan and Li Shizong were prosecuted. When investigators searched the defendant Li Shizong's mansion in Taichung, they seized about 158 ​​kilograms of gold from an underground safe, with a market value of more than NT$650 million, and NT$93.0811 million in cash. Some media reports pointed out that when this batch of cash was delivered to the treasury for counting, it was found that the amount was short of about 300,000 yuan, and questioned that an automatic money counting machine was not used at the search site to count each piece.

The Bureau of Investigation clarified that when the seized items were put into storage at Beihang Station, a shortfall of NT$206,500 was actually found in the account. After checking, it was not a missing cash, but a miscalculation of the NT$500 banknotes as NT$1,000 denominations during the count, plus a clerical error in posting the amount of the banknotes.

The Bureau of Investigation pointed out that after discovering the short difference in the amount at Beiji Station, it immediately reported the reason to the Taichung District Prosecutor's Office and asked the detained person to confirm and correct the amount. The cash detained in the case was successfully put into the treasury, and the parties involved had no objections. The entire search and seizure process was videotaped and evidenced. The cash was sealed completely and stored in the RFID warehouse for inspection in accordance with regulations. No money was taken away or lost.

In response to the error in misstatement of the amount, the Investigation Bureau stated that it had conducted an internal review and required colleagues to strictly abide by the case-handling procedures. The Political Style Office also immediately launched an administrative investigation after the report was made by the resident inspector to further clarify relevant operational errors.