Fu Kun-chi

Fu Kun-chi (Chinese: 傅崐萁; pinyin: Fu Kūnqí; Wade–Giles: Fu4 Kʻun1-chʻi2;[1] born 8 May 1962) is a Taiwanese politician. He was a member of the Legislative Yuan from 2002 to 2009, when he assumed the Hualien County magistracy. In September 2018, Fu was removed from the latter office, as the Supreme Court issued its final ruling on charges of insider trading against him, outstanding since 2005. Fu was re-elected to the Legislative Yuan in 2020. On 14 May 2020, he was convicted of illegal stock speculation and sentenced to two years and ten months in prison.

In this Chinese name, the family name is Fu.
Fu Kun-chi
MLY
傅崐萁
Member of the Legislative Yuan
Assumed office
1 February 2020
Preceded byHsiao Bi-khim
In office
1 February 2002 – 20 December 2009
Succeeded byWang Ting-son
ConstituencyHualien County
Magistrate of Hualien County
In office
20 December 2009 – 12 September 2018
DeputyTsai Yun-huang
Preceded byHsieh Shen-shan
Succeeded byTsai Pi-chung (acting)
Hsu Chen-wei
Personal details
Born (1962-05-08) 8 May 1962
Taichung, Taiwan
NationalityTaiwan
Political partyKuomintang (2007–09, 2021–)
Other political
affiliations		People First Party (2000–07)
SpouseHsu Chen-wei
Alma materTamkang University
National Dong Hwa University

Education

Fu completed his bachelor's degree in transport administration and Chinese research at Tamkang University. He then earned his master's degree in public administration from National Dong Hwa University.

Political career

Fu served in the Legislative Yuan from 2002 to 2009. Fu assumed the position of Magistrate of Hualien County starting 20 December 2009 after winning the 2009 Hualien County magistrate election on 5 December 2009 as an independent candidate. He was reelected for the second term as magistrate after winning the 2014 Hualien County magistrate election on 29 November 2014 as an independent candidate.[2][3]

2014 Hualien County Magistrate Election Result
No. Candidate Party Votes Percentage
1Fu Kun-chiIndependent89,048 56.53%
2Hsu Chen-weiIndependent5,436 3.45%
3Huang Shih-peng (黄師鵬)Independent2,369 1.50%
4Ke Tsi-hai (柯賜海)Independent14,954 9.49%
5Chu Kuo-hua (朱國華)Independent2,218 1.41%
6Tsai Chi-ta (蔡啟塔) KMT43,504 27.62%

2016 Mainland China visit

In September 2016, Fu visited Beijing with another seven magistrates and mayors from Taiwan, which were Hsu Yao-chang (Magistrate of Miaoli County), Chiu Ching-chun (Magistrate of Hsinchu County), Liu Cheng-ying (Magistrate of Lienchiang County), Yeh Hui-ching (Deputy Mayor of New Taipei City), Chen Chin-hu (Deputy Magistrate of Taitung County), Lin Ming-chen (Magistrate of Nantou County) and Wu Cherng-dean (Deputy Magistrate of Kinmen County). Their visit was aimed to reset and restart cross-strait relations after President Tsai Ing-wen took office on 20 May 2016. The eight local leaders reiterated their support of One-China policy under the 1992 consensus. They met with Taiwan Affairs Office Head Zhang Zhijun and Chairperson of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Yu Zhengsheng.[4][5][6]

2020 legislative election

Fu ran as an independent in the Hualien County Constituency he represented from 2002 to 2009, and defeated sitting legislator Hsiao Bi-khim in the 2020 legislative elections.[7]

Controversy

In 2000, legal action began against investors of Taiwan Pineapple Group,[8] regarding insider trading dating back to 1997.[9] Subsequent investigations found that Fu was not involved in speculation of Taiwan Pineapple stocks, but did profit from stock manipulation of other companies. A 2013 Taiwan High Court ruling found Fu guilty, and he was to serve three years' imprisonment. An appeal was heard by the same court in February 2019, and Fu's sentence was reduced to 34 months.[9] Upon hearing the appeal in May 2020, the Supreme Court decided to uphold the High Court's 2019 ruling, without suspending Fu's civil rights, which permitted Fu to retain his seat in the Legislative Yuan.[10]

In 2005, Fu was charged with insider trading dating back to 2003. The Taichung District Court ruled in 2008 that he was to pay a NT$50 million fine and he was sentenced to a prison term of 54 months. The case was appealed to the High Court, and Supreme Court, which returned the case to the High Court. A 2016 High Court decision held that Fu was guilty and reduced his sentence to eight months' imprisonment.[11] The Supreme Court refused another appeal in September 2018, and ruled that Fu must serve his eight-month sentence.[12][13] Immediately after the court decision, the Ministry of the Interior removed Fu from the Hualien County magistracy.[14] Fu's deputy Tsai Yun-huang was also removed from office,[15] and the interior ministry selected Tsai Pi-chung to succeed Fu. Fu began serving his sentence on 25 September 2018.[16] In March 2019, it was reported that Fu's sentence had been reduced by one month on good behavior, which granted him early release on 24 April 2019.[17]

The Hualien District Prosecutors’ Office charged Fu with tax evasion in October 2017, regarding real estate sales.[18]

On 24 June 2020, the Taiwan High Court extended Fu's prison sentence to a total of 46 months, in decisions regarding the stock manipulation cases against him, as well as his divorce from Hsu Chen-wei.[19]

References
  1. 又要入監！炒股案定讞 傅崐萁：我們一定會再見【最新快訊】. Taiwan Television (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Event occurs at 0:40 – via YouTube.
  2. "Fu files for Hualien County race". Taipei Times. 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
  3. Hua, Meng-ching (2014-11-23). "2014 ELECTIONS: Fu Kun-chi sand sculpture called act of 'brown-nosing'". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
  4. "Local gov't officials hold meeting with Beijing".
  5. "Local government heads arrive in Beijing for talks - Taipei Times". 18 September 2016.
  6. "Kuomintang News Network". Archived from the original on 2016-09-24.
  7. Chang, Chi; Liu, Kuan-ting; Mazzetta, Matthew (12 January 2020). "2020 ELECTIONS / Young candidates, underdogs prevail in several legislative races". Central News Agency. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  8. "21 indicted in Taiwan Pineapple investigation". Taipei Times. 3 February 2000. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  9. Pan, Jason (21 February 2019). "High Court upholds ex-commissioner's guilt". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  10. Pan, Jason (15 May 2020). "Fu Kun-chi to go to jail for stock manipulation". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  11. Pan, Jason (21 June 2017). "Taiwan High Court upholds guilty verdict for Fu Kun-chi". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  12. Huang, Tzu-ti (12 September 2018). "Magistrate of Taiwan's Hualien County handed 8 months in prison for insider trading". Taiwan News. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  13. Hsiao, Po-wen; Hsu, Elizabeth (12 September 2018). "Hualien county chief sentenced to 8 months for stock speculation". Central News Agency. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  14. Chang, Wen-chuan; Chung, Jake (13 September 2018). "Fu loses post as conviction upheld". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  15. Wang, Chin-yi; Hua, Meng-ching; Chung, Jake (14 September 2018). "Hundreds protest commissioner axing". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  16. Wang, Chin-yi; Yu, Tai-lang (5 November 2018). "INTERVIEW: Hualien County acting commissioner defends actions in run-up to elections". Taipei Times. Translated by Chin, Jonathan. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  17. Deaeth, Duncan (25 March 2019). "Ex-Hualien Magistrate to be released from Taiwan jail one month early". Taiwan News. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  18. Pan, Jason (7 October 2017). "Hualien chief Fu Kun-chi charged with tax evasion". Taipei Times. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  19. Pan, Jason (26 June 2020). "Fu Kun-chi sentenced to three years, 10 months". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
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