The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office has indicted independent lawmaker Kao
Chin Su-mei and 23 other people on corruption and fraud-related charges
related to the embezzlement of public funds and imports of unapproved
COVID-19 test kits from China.

The prosecutor's office says Kao fraudulently obtained more than 7.87-million
N-T in public funds through false claims for legislative assistant salaries,
overtime pay, bonuses and childcare subsidies.

They add the lawmaker knowingly registered several individuals, including her
siblings, as publicly funded legislative assistants despite them not
performing any actual duties.

She also allegly helped a staff member obtain childcare subsidies through
false claims and of authorizing her office director in 2022 to exploit
customs regulations to allowing individuals to import COVID rapid test kits
from China.

Prosecutors say 74,400 unapproved test kits were received from a manufacturer
in Xiamen by circumventing medical device regulations.

Kao Chin has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has served in legislature since
2002, prosecutors are recommending a prison sentence of more than 12 years.