Jiaxian Village Chief Candidate Group's PO Post Sponsored Temple Fair with RMB 110,000, Prosecuted for Violation of Election Strike Law

In June this year, He Yucheng, a candidate for the mayor of Xinfu Village, Yizhu Township, Chiayi County, posted a message in a social media group with about 115 to 119 people that he wanted to sponsor a temple tour of NT$110,000 next May. He also posted a campaign photo. The message was retracted a few days later. The Chiayi District Prosecutor’s Office investigated and found that He Nan was involved in violating the election and recall law for public officials, including bribery and soliciting, promising or delivering bribes or other improper benefits. He was prosecuted.

Prosecutors' investigation revealed that 43-year-old Ho Man, a candidate for village chief of Xinfu Village in Yizhu Township, used his mobile phone at around 8 p.m. on June 15 this year in a community development association Line group with about 115 to 119 people to sponsor the temple in the village for next year's border crossing fee of NT$110,000. He then posted a campaign promotional photo with the words "sincere sincerity of the village chief candidate" and a phone lighter from the campaign service office under the sponsorship message.

Prosecutors investigated and found that Ho was suspected of being famous for sponsoring the temple's incense march activity, and publicly solicited and promised to provide 110,000 yuan in benefits to voters in the constituency religious groups and groups. After the message was viewed by the temple chairman, management committee members and others in the group, the chairman replied that the schedule for next year's incense burning had not yet been decided and asked him not to decide the date of the incense burning. Only then did He withdraw the sponsorship message a few days later.

When questioned, He Nan confessed that the text and pictures of the message were interpreted to mean that he was sponsoring a temple offering NT$110,000 to perform incense and circumambulate the border next year, and asked those with voting rights in the group to vote for him. However, he argued that he had not yet decided to run for village chief when he posted the message, and the sponsorship was just to make the temple's pilgrimage lively and had nothing to do with the election.

The Jiajian indictment points out that the crime of election bribery is not limited to the fact that the perpetrator has completed candidate registration. As long as the perpetrator is subjectively determined to participate in the election, starts publicity or solicits election bribery, he is the subject of the crime. Ho Nan has not provided high-level sponsorship to the temple in the past, and there was no record of sponsorship last year. This sudden pledge of 110,000 yuan in sponsorship fees is obviously inconsistent with normal religious donations, and the witness corroborated Ho Nan's confession. He was prosecuted for violating the election and recall law.