Miaoli Mayoral Candidate Arrested for Bribery Over 300 NT Dollar Gift Boxes

A mayoral candidate and their friends in a township in Miaoli County were suspected of distributing gift boxes of tea and dried fruit, each valued at approximately NT$300, ahead of the 2024 local elections, and were arrested by prosecutors on vote-buying charges. According to the Miaoli District Prosecutors Office, eight individuals involved in the case have been arrested and were referred to the Miaoli District Court today. The court ordered detention and communication ban for seven of them, while one was released.

Local elections in Taiwan are held every four years, with voters placing particular emphasis on the credibility and policy platforms of candidates. Although distributing gifts before elections is a traditional campaign practice, it constitutes illegal vote-buying if the value of the gifts exceeds the legal threshold. Under Article 20 of the Election Penalties Act, anyone who gives money or material goods to voters, where the amount or value exceeds NT$5,000, constitutes vote-buying. In this case, although the tea and dried fruit gift boxes were valued below the threshold, they could still be regarded as "inducing voter benefits," and coupled with the timing of the distribution close to election day, prosecutors deemed it to constitute vote-buying.

After receiving a public tip-off in early October 2024, prosecutors launched an investigation and obtained evidence including audio recordings and financial receipts. Upon verification, the candidate and their friends distributed approximately 1,200 gift boxes, with an average value of about NT$300 per box, totaling around NT$360,000. Pursuant to Article 32 of the Election Penalties Act, organizers and assistants of vote-buying face a maximum sentence of seven years in prison and a fine of up to NT$1 million. During today's proceedings, the court followed the detention procedures under the Code of Criminal Procedure, placing the suspects in detention and restricting their communications.

This incident has caused considerable ripples in the local political landscape of Miaoli. The political party caucus to which the candidate belongs has publicly stated that it will cooperate with the investigation.