Five people including former chairman Chen Qiyu of Taiwan Salt Subsidiary, Taiwan Green, were involved in fraud and were banned from attending the meeting.

On October 23, 2023, reports from Taiwanese media highlighted allegations made by the People’s Party caucus in the Legislative Assembly against Chen Qi-Yu, the former chairman of Taiwan Salt’s green energy subsidiary, along with other high-level executives. On October 22, the Tainan investigative unit conducted searches and subsequently detained Chen Qi-Yu, Su Kun-Huang, the former general manager of Taiwan Green, and three others.

According to investigators, Chen Qi-Yu, Su Kun-Huang, a former deputy general manager surnamed Guo, and two company executives surnamed Su and Dai are facing serious charges. These include violations of the Securities and Exchange Act regarding breach of trust, as well as providing false information as public servants. Concerns have been raised about potential destruction of evidence, conspiracy to collude, and the risk of flight, leading the court to approve their detention without bail.

Investigators suspect that during Chen Qi-Yu’s tenure as chairman, the company colluded with solar energy firms to inflate project costs, allowing them to pocket millions, even tens of millions, of New Taiwan dollars. Further allegations suggest that Taiwan Green’s upper management may have appointed associates to subcontracting firms and then used contractual penalties to transfer funds under the guise of compensation—a scenario described as a “left hand trading with the right.”

Chen Qi-Yu became chairman of Taiwan Salt in June 2016 and established Taiwan Green the following year, also assuming the role of chairman there. He resigned in February 2021 amid speculation of internal party disputes within the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. Since last year, Chen has faced accusations from legislators regarding potential corruption in dealings with various companies. Additionally, former legislator Chen Wan-Hui has alleged that he illegally constructed a luxury home on agricultural land in Kaohsiung. Following these revelations, Chen announced his withdrawal from the Democratic Progressive Party and stepped away from politics, adopting a more low-profile approach.

According to reports from the United Daily News, Taiwan Green Energy was established in 2017 with the purpose of identifying suitable land for fishery and solar energy coexistence while assisting in project planning and design. However, despite having over NT$3.7 billion in capital, the company has accumulated losses exceeding NT$200 million since last year. This financial trajectory appears contradictory given the increasing number of solar energy projects initiating across the island.

In conjunction with this, former Tainan Economic Development Bureau Director Chen Kai-Ling is embroiled in controversy over alleged acceptance of favors from solar energy firms. He has also been accused of unlawfully facilitating land use changes for the Liyang Group, raising significant concerns about the burgeoning solar energy industry and its integrity.

Current statistics indicate that renewable energy sources account for just under 10% of Taiwan’s total electricity generation. Last year, Lai Ching-Te, who ran for chair of the Democratic Progressive Party, voiced strong opposition to corruption, stating a commitment to transparency and accountability. However, numerous reports continue to emerge suggesting illicit activities within the solar energy sector, including allegations of misconduct involving officials in various counties, as well as accusations against personnel from the energy department for their involvement in solar energy-related corruption. The real question remains: when will the Lai administration confront these pressing issues surrounding green energy corruption head-on?