Suspended Sentence for CUPP Official in Terry Gou Signature Scandal

Taiwan's Presidential Election Ballot Under Scrutiny: CUPP Deputy Chairman Faces Consequences for Signature Buying.

Taipei, April 28 – A deputy head of Taiwan's Chinese Unification Promotion Party (CUPP) has been handed a suspended sentence and a fine following a guilty verdict related to the illegal procurement of signatures. The signatures were intended to help business magnate Terry Gou (郭台銘) qualify for the 2024 presidential election ballot.

The Taipei District Court delivered its ruling on Monday, sentencing CUPP Deputy Chairman Lee Tsung-kuei (李宗奎) to two years in prison and imposing a fine of NT$6 million. Both the prison sentence and the fine were suspended for a period of five years. The court found Lee guilty of violating the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act.

In addition to the sentence, Lee was ordered to remit NT$3 million (approximately US$92,353) to the state treasury and was barred from holding or seeking public office for four years. The court’s decision is subject to appeal.

The indictment revealed that in October 2023, Chen Chung-ming (陳仲明), a prominent hot spring tycoon from Taipei's Beitou District, enlisted Lee's assistance in gathering signatures for Gou, the founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. The aim was to help Gou meet the endorsement threshold required to participate in the January 13, 2024, presidential election.

Lee allegedly allocated NT$1.5 million to fund the signature-gathering operation. He instructed seven of his associates, including employees and friends, to pay members of the public NT$300 per signature. Over 1,000 signatures were unlawfully collected in support of Gou's candidacy, according to prosecutors.

During the trial, 74-year-old Lee admitted to the charges. His seven accomplices also confessed, with most receiving suspended sentences. Chen Chung-ming was tried separately, and he received a suspended prison sentence and a fine of NT$2 million last year.