A solar photovoltaic project was developed along the coast of Dacheng and Rural Areas in Changhua County. Chen Henan, a village representative, claimed compensation for NT$2 million on the grounds that the manufacturer's construction piling caused vibrations, causing him to bite his tongue and cut production. He called on villagers to protest at the construction site and demanded that the operator pay 20 years of electricity bill compensation, of which NT$360,000 went into his personal pocket. After hearing the case, the Changhua District Court found that he took advantage of the situation to extort money and acted like a gangster. He was recently sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, deprived of public rights for seven years, and his criminal proceeds were confiscated.
The area around Donggang and Xigang Village in Dacheng Township has been declared as a subsidence area that is unfavorable for farming. A green energy company obtained a license from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to build a solar photovoltaic power plant and began construction of a booster station in November 2021. Chen Henan (66 years old) claimed that construction piling caused vibrations and caused the death of clams, and demanded compensation of 2 million yuan to nearby damaged clams.
The verdict stated that Chen Henan first claimed to the construction site director that the vibration of the pile driving caused the clams to "bite their tongues and commit suicide." If the work was not stopped, it would lead to public protests. He also threatened that "if there is no coordination, someone will call the gangsters out, and the gangsters will deal with it differently. To put it harshly, he will take the money first." He led the manufacturers to identify the clam ponds one by one, take photos and position them, and calculated the compensation amount based on distance and area in the name of subsidizing electricity bills. The next day, the manufacturer continued to drive piles. He was dissatisfied and invited people to protest. He notified the police station director and the township office to come to the scene. He also physically pushed the workers and pressured the office to ask the manufacturer to stop work. In order to prevent the incident from getting out of control, the manufacturer had no choice but to stop work that day.
The manufacturer then declared a suspension of work on January 4, 2022. After the construction manager understood that the purpose of Chen Henan's protest was to extort property, he agreed to a compensation plan with an additional 200,000 yuan in working expenses, and exchanged 2 million yuan for resumption of work. He also agreed to pay 1 million yuan upfront and pay the final payment of 1 million yuan after work resumed. After Chen Henan received NT$2 million, the industry was able to resume work.
The verdict stated that after receiving the money, Chen Henan did not truthfully distribute it to other people. Instead, he intended to enrich his own pockets and allowed his brother, cousin, his father and others to overreport and receive a total of 259,000 yuan. He even used the money he received to repair his house, and included the "white clam pond" that had not been cultivated for many years in the scope of compensation, intending to receive 825,000 yuan. Later, due to local doubts, he only received 360,000 yuan, and the remaining 460,000 yuan was returned to the person in charge surnamed Chen.
The judge said that Chen Henan has been a representative of public opinion for many years and should have been a mouthpiece for the people in accordance with the law. However, he led the public to illegally resist legal construction companies without scientific basis. He used his power to intimidate the director of the public office to stop the work. His behavior was almost hooligan, and delaying the project did not hinder the construction. He harmed the implementation of the national green electricity policy; after receiving the money, he benefited himself and won over his cronies, using his identity as a tool for personal gain. After committing the crime, he denied it and shirk responsibility. Therefore, he was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, deprived of public rights for 7 years, 360,000 yuan confiscated, and can be appealed.
