Fu Kun-chi (Chinese: 傅崐萁; pinyin: Fu Kūnqí; Wade–Giles: Fu4 Kʻun1-chʻi2;[1] born 8 May 1962) is a Taiwanese politician who is serving as a member of the Legislative Yuan. He was a member 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. His wife is the Hualien County Magistrate since 2018, Hsu Chen-wei.
Fu Kun-chi | |
|---|---|
傅崐萁 | |
 Fu in 2024 | |
| Majority Leader of the Legislative Yuan | |
| Assumed office 1 February 2024 | |
| Speaker | Han Kuo-yu |
| Deputy | Hung Mong-kai |
| Preceded by | Ker Chien-ming |
| Member of the Legislative Yuan | |
| Assumed office 1 February 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Hsiao Bi-khim |
| Constituency | Hualien County |
| In office 1 February 2002 – 20 December 2009 | |
| Succeeded by | Wang Ting-son |
| Constituency | Hualien County |
| First Gentleman of Hualien | |
| Assumed role 25 December 2018 | |
| Magistrate | Hsu Chen-wei |
| Preceded by | Huang Shu-ying (First Lady) |
| 12th Magistrate of Hualien | |
| In office 20 December 2009 – 12 September 2018 | |
| Deputy | Tsai Yun-huang |
| Preceded by | Hsieh Shen-shan |
| Succeeded by | Tsai Pi-chung (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 May 1962 Taichung, Taiwan |
| Political party | Kuomintang (2007–09, 2021–) |
| Other political affiliations | People First Party (2000–07) |
| Spouse | Hsu Chen-wei |
| Education | Tamkang University (BA) Jinan University (PhD) |
Education
editFu completed his bachelor's degree in transport administration and China Studies at Tamkang University. He then earned a Ph.D. from Jinan University.
Political career
editFu 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 | ||
| 1 | Fu Kun-chi | Independent | 89,048 | 56.53% | 
| |
| 2 | Hsu Chen-wei | Independent | 5,436 | 3.45% | ||
| 3 | Huang Shih-peng (黄師鵬) | Independent | 2,369 | 1.50% | ||
| 4 | Ke Tsi-hai (柯賜海) | Independent | 14,954 | 9.49% | ||
| 5 | Chu Kuo-hua (朱國華) | Independent | 2,218 | 1.41% | ||
| 6 | Tsai Chi-ta (蔡啟塔) | KMT | 43,504 | 27.62% | ||
2016 Mainland China visit
editIn 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]
Return to the legislature
editFu 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 election.[7] Fu was reelected to the Legislative Yuan in 2024, and considered a run for the speakership.[8][9] Instead, Fu was named the Kuomintang's legislative caucus convener.[10]
Controversy
editIn 2000, legal action began against investors of Taiwan Pineapple Group,[11] regarding insider trading dating back to 1997.[12] 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.[12] 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.[13]
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.[14] The Supreme Court refused another appeal in September 2018, and ruled that Fu must serve his eight-month sentence.[15][16] Immediately after the court decision, the Ministry of the Interior removed Fu from the Hualien County magistracy.[17] Fu's deputy Tsai Yun-huang was also removed from office,[18] and the interior ministry selected Tsai Pi-chung to succeed Fu. Fu began serving his sentence on 25 September 2018.[19] 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.[20]
The Hualien District Prosecutors’ Office charged Fu with tax evasion in October 2017, regarding real estate sales.[21]
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.[22]
In a 2015 rally reportedly attended in ten thousands, Fu, then a county magistrate, declared he was against registering same-sex marriages in Hualien county.[23]
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ "Fu files for Hualien County race". Taipei Times. 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
- ^ Hua, Meng-ching (2014-11-23). "2014 ELECTIONS: Fu Kun-chi sand sculpture called act of 'brown-nosing'". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
- ^ "Local gov't officials hold meeting with Beijing".
- ^ "Local government heads arrive in Beijing for talks - Taipei Times". 18 September 2016.
- ^ "Kuomintang News Network". Archived from the original on 2016-09-24.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Tsai, Yun-jong; Pan, Jason (22 January 2024). "Fu Kun-chi reiterates his plan to run for speaker". Taipei Times. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "KMT's Fu Kun-chi retracts speaker bid, backs Han". Taipei Times. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ Wang, Cheng-chung; Hsu, Elizabeth (28 January 2024). "Fu Kun-chi to serve as KMT's new legislative caucus convener". Central News Agency. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
- ^ "21 indicted in Taiwan Pineapple investigation". Taipei Times. 3 February 2000. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
- ^ a b Pan, Jason (21 February 2019). "High Court upholds ex-commissioner's guilt". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ Pan, Jason (15 May 2020). "Fu Kun-chi to go to jail for stock manipulation". Taipei Times. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ Pan, Jason (21 June 2017). "Taiwan High Court upholds guilty verdict for Fu Kun-chi". Taipei Times. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Chang, Wen-chuan; Chung, Jake (13 September 2018). "Fu loses post as conviction upheld". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ Wang, Chin-yi; Hua, Meng-ching; Chung, Jake (14 September 2018). "Hundreds protest commissioner axing". Taipei Times. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Deaeth, Duncan (25 March 2019). "Ex-Hualien Magistrate to be released from Taiwan jail one month early". Taiwan News. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ Pan, Jason (7 October 2017). "Hualien chief Fu Kun-chi charged with tax evasion". Taipei Times. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- ^ Pan, Jason (26 June 2020). "Fu Kun-chi sentenced to three years, 10 months". Taipei Times. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ 花孟璟 (2018-09-26). "《入監前縣長傅崐萁拒絕同婚》同志團體陳情 首獲花縣官員回應" (in Traditional Chinese). Liberty Times.
...前縣長傅崐萁曾在三年前萬人造勢場合宣稱「花蓮拒絕同志登記結婚」...
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