Independent city council candidate Zhang Qisheng was released on NT$2 million bail over alleged vote-buying, while his father, a former Marine Affairs Bureau head, and his brother were detained for two months. The case is at the suspicion stage and the defendants are presumed innocent.
According to the United Daily News, Zhang Qisheng (張騏晟), an independent running for Kaohsiung City Council in District 3 around Dagangshan and billed as a political dark horse, was investigated over alleged vote-buying, and the Qiaotou District Court granted NT$2 million bail on the evening of October 13. He had to post it by 11 p.m. and is barred from contacting co-defendants and related persons or commenting publicly on the case. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and the case remains at the suspicion stage.
광고 문의 · 300×250Zhang holds a doctorate in aquatic products technology from National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, previously ran a seafood e-commerce platform, and has been active locally for over 10 years. His father, Zhang Hanxiong (張漢雄), is a former Ziguan township mayor, township council chair, general manager of the Ziguan fisheries association and director of the Kaohsiung Marine Affairs Bureau; his brother, Zhang Junhua (張鈞華), is the current general manager of the Ziguan District fisheries association. The court ordered the two detained incommunicado for two months from October 13, citing serious suspicion and the risk of collusion with witnesses and destruction of evidence.
The Investigation and the Alleged Offenses
The Qiaotou District Prosecutors Office acted on a tip, with chief prosecutor Guo Jingdong assigning prosecutors Su Hengyi and Yan Weide. On October 12, Investigation Bureau and Kaohsiung police officers searched 15 locations, including Zhang's campaign office, his residence and the fisheries association, and summoned 27 people including the candidate, alleged accomplices and voters. The paper said the offenses under investigation include vote-buying under Article 99(1) of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act, aggravated fraud and making false entries in business documents.
Prosecutors allege two strands of conduct. First, at Mother's Day banquets in May 2026 the campaign team gave dozens of pastry gift boxes, each worth more than NT$490, to voters at restaurants in Gangshan and Qiaotou. Second, since 2025 the father and brother allegedly worked with association staff to use false documents to give non-fishermen fisher status and future subsidies, in return for requiring at least 10 voters to back Zhang Qisheng.
Three other co-defendants and 10 voters were released on bail of NT$100,000 to NT$300,000. We were unable to obtain the defendants' account, and all the allegations above are those of prosecutors. With a campaign linking a candidate's family to a local fisheries body, the case may raise questions about election fairness, but the report did not confirm any effect on the election schedule or the candidate's eligibility. Whether indictments follow, and how any trial ends, remains to be seen.
