Tsai Hau

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Tsai Hau
MLY
蔡豪
Tsai Hau in 2005
Vice Chairman of the Congress Party Alliance
In office
18 October 2018 – January 2019
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byHsu Hsin-ying
Member of the Legislative Yuan
In office
1 February 1999 – 31 January 2008
ConstituencyPingtung County
Personal details
Born (1958-08-01) 1 August 1958 (age 65)
Pingtung County, Taiwan
CitizenshipTaiwanese
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (2004–2008)
Kuomintang (2008–?)
Congress Party Alliance (2018–2020)
SpouseSong Li-hua (div. 2017)
Occupationpolitician

Tsai Hau (Chinese: 蔡豪; born 1 August 1958) is a Taiwanese politician. He served three terms on the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2008. Originally elected as a political independent, Tsai joined the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union in 2004, and represented the Kuomintang in the 2009 Taiwanese local elections. From 2018 to 2019, Tsai was vice chairman of the Congress Party Alliance.

Career[edit]

Tsai was involved in the Taiwanese mass media industry,[1] as a shareholder in the New Taipei Mass Communication company, and as shareholder and member of the board of directors in Eastern Multimedia.[2] He also chaired The Commons Daily [zh],[3] and was executive director of the General Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of China [zh].[4]

Tsai was first elected to the Legislative Yuan in 1998, taking office as a political independent representing Pingtung County.[5] In May 2000, Tsai co-initiated a signature drive within the Legislative Yuan in support of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma.[6] He was the convener of the National Non-Party League,[7] and helped reform a caucus for independents, known as the Non-partisan Alliance, during his next term in 2002.[8][9] Tsai was one of ten founding members of the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union, established in June 2004,[10] and served the new political party as its legislative whip.[11] He won reelection to the Legislative Yuan as an NPSU candidate later that year, as did five other incumbent legislators representing the party.[12]

In 2008, The Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association advised gay and lesbian voters not to vote for a list of political candidates, including Tsai, that the organization considered to be opponents of LGBT rights.[13] Tsai contested the Pingtung County 1 seat, and lost to Su Chen-ching [zh].[14]

Over the course of his legislative tenure, Tsai has been involved in several incidents of legislative chaos and violence. During the speakership and vice speakership votes in 2002, Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Chu Hsing-yu climbed unto the speaker's podium to look at Tsai's ballot.[15] During a January 2007 budget vote and consideration of nominations to the Central Election Commission, Tsai joined Kuomintang colleagues rushing to legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng as Democratic Progressive Party legislators sought to stall the vote by gathering at the speaker's podium.[16] Several of the confrontations took place as Tsai served the Home and Nations legislative committee as a convener. He was gagged by pan-green affiliated legislators as he tried to adjourn a committee meeting on amendments to the Referendum Act in January 2007,[17] and had to dismiss a March 2007 meeting on absentee voting early due to arguments between lawmakers that began before the meeting could be called to order.[18] In a joint meeting of the Home and Nations Committee and the Organic Laws and Statutes Committee in May 2007, Tsai pulled a microphone away from Kao Chien-chih and asked chairwoman Chang Ching-hui to adjourn the meeting.[19] In a May 2007 meeting of the Home and Nations Committee, David Huang discovered that business executives in technology had been invited to attend, and called the invitation an attempt to "ambush" pan-green lawmakers who opposed the bill meant to be discussed during that meeting. After Huang shouted, "The KMT doesn't love Taiwan. It's trying to sell us out to China!", Tsai replied, "I'll be waiting outside the legislature for you later. How about that?"[20]

Tsai sought election to the Pingtung County Council in 2009, and served as founding vice chairman of the Congress Party Alliance in 2018.[21]

Legal actions[edit]

In November 1999, Tsai, representing the Taiwan Development and Trust Corporation, helped the company buy property in Yangmei, Taoyuan, owned by the Far Eastern Silo and Shipping Company. The Far Eastern Silo and Shipping executive Gary Wang [zh] had bought the land the previous year at an inflated price, embezzled money and sold the land to TDTC at yet another inflated price. The Taiwan High Court ruled in May 2007 that Tsai had perpetrated a breach of trust and sentenced him to one year of imprisonment.[22] Allegations about the acquisition had been outstanding since at least 2000.[23] The pair were formally indicted on charges of fraud in January 2001, alongside eleven others.[24] Prosectors originally sought a prison term of three years for Tsai.[25] In March 2008, the Apple Daily reported that Tsai was one of thirteen people to have received a sum of money from Wang You-theng, Gary Wang's father.[26] In February 2009, Tsai was called as a witness for a hearing in which the Taipei District Court decided to grant Gary Wang bail.[27]

As the Chu Mei-feng sex scandal broke, Tsai denied that he was recorded having sex with Chu.[28]

Prosecution of Tsai for voter fraud began just before the 2004 legislative elections, after a three year investigation had ended.[29][30]

Tsai was indicted in March 2008 for violating the National Security Law, the Immigration Law, and Offenses of Concealment of Offenders and Destruction of Evidence in aiding convicted banker Wang Hsuan-jen's move to China.[31] He was sentenced by the Taiwan High Court in June 2010 to six months imprisonment or a fine of NT$180,000.[32]

Tsai's 2009 election to the Pingtung County Council as a Kuomintang candidate was nullified by the Pingtung District Court, due to his conviction on charges of vote buying.[33]

In a case of fraud dating to 2011, the Kaohsiung branch of the Taiwan High Court heard an appeal and convicted Tsai on charges of forgery in January 2021, sentencing him to four years and ten months imprisonment.[33][34] The appeal has not yet been heard by the Supreme Court.[33]

In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that Tsai was guilty of vote buying during his 2008 legislative campaign. He was sentenced to four years imprisonment and had his civil rights suspended for four years.[35] Tsai was released on parole in September 2015.[36]

In 2016, a woman accused Tsai of sexually assaulting her twice, while she worked at his consultancy firm. An appeal of the case was heard by the Supreme Court in June 2021. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction and the prison sentence of four years and ten months.[33][37]

Personal life[edit]

Tsai Hau's wife Song Li-hua has served on the Pingtung County Council.[38] The pair's election to the county council in 2009 marked the first time a married couple had served together on that legislative body.[21] Tsai and Song divorced in 2017.[21][39][40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "TV Time to give one week's grace period for HBO". Taipei Times. 8 January 2000. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Chen affirms vow over media ethics". Taipei Times. 12 February 2003. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Tsai Hau (5)". Legislative Yuan. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Tsai Hau (6)". Legislative Yuan. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Tsai Hau (4)". Legislative Yuan. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  6. ^ Low, Stephanie (21 September 2000). "Lawmakers aid Myanmar". Taipei Times. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  7. ^ Low, Stephanie (16 September 2001). "Party leaders vow to cooperate". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  8. ^ Hsu, Crystal (27 June 2002). "Independents seeking new voice". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  9. ^ Hsu, Crystal (2 July 2002). "Independents try to form caucus". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  10. ^ Yiu, Cody (17 June 2004). "Legislator says new party should not be recognized". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  11. ^ Wu, Debby (20 November 2004). "Introducing the 'non-party' party". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  12. ^ Wu, Debby (12 December 2004). "Independents anticipate playing a crucial role in legislature". Taipei Times.
  13. ^ Loa, Iok-sin (5 January 2008). "Activists urge boycott of 'homophobic' candidates". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Legislative elections and referendums" (PDF). Taipei Times. 13 January 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  15. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (2 February 2002). "Anger greets KMT's clean sweep". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  16. ^ Shih, Hsiu-chuan (20 January 2007). "CEC amendment leads to gridlock, legislative chaos". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  17. ^ Hirsch, Max (12 January 2007). "Discussion on changing Referendum Law turns violent". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  18. ^ Shih, Hsiu-chuan; Wang, Flora (27 March 2007). "Absentee voting bill causes squabbles". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  19. ^ Ko, Shu-ling (24 May 2007). "Squabbling lawmakers disrupt meeting". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  20. ^ Hirsch, Max (1 June 2007). "Legislator's 'ambush' sparks argument in committee". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  21. ^ a b c 葉, 永騫 (18 June 2021). "3屆立委官司不斷 與議員老婆離了". Liberty Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  22. ^ Chang, Rich (19 May 2007). "Two jailed in land deal prosecution". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  23. ^ Lin, Chieh-yu (4 December 2000). "Declare war on crime, Chen urged". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  24. ^ Jou, Ying-cheng (5 January 2001). "Prosecutors indict 13 for fraud". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  25. ^ Lin, Irene (5 July 2001). "Lawmakers plead innocent to fraud". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  26. ^ Wang, Flor (29 March 2008). "KMT caucus urges probe into payment allegations". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  27. ^ Chuang, Jimmy (12 February 2009). "Taipei District Court releases Gary Wang on NT$350m bail". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  28. ^ Chuang, Jimmy (1 January 2002). "Chu sues magazine, lawmaker denies he is in second video". Taipei Times.
  29. ^ "Yunlin County speaker charged with vote-buying". Taipei Times. 30 November 2004. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  30. ^ Chang, Rich (20 March 2005). "Scores of officials busted for corruption: MOJ". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  31. ^ Chang, Rich (12 March 2008). "Seven indicted for helping fugitive banker". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  32. ^ Chang, Rich (30 June 2010). "Ex-legislator, businessman convicted of aiding escape". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  33. ^ a b c d Pan, Jason (20 June 2021). "Former lawmaker Tsai loses appeal in sexual assault case". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  34. ^ 林, 伯驊 (25 January 2021). "遭控性侵判刑 前立委蔡豪再涉偽造本票判4年8月". United Daily News (in Chinese). Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  35. ^ 黃, 意涵 (12 February 2014). "立委選舉涉賄選 蔡豪判刑4年". Taiwan News (in Chinese). Central News Agency. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  36. ^ "前立委蔡豪關定了 灌醉女助理性侵！判囚4年10月已啟動防逃機制". Apple Daily (in Chinese). 17 June 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  37. ^ "前立委蔡豪性侵女助理判囚4年10月定讞 今午報到發監". Apple Daily (in Chinese). 25 June 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  38. ^ Shan, Shelley (1 June 2017). "TOP's bid for ETTV rejected by NCC". Taipei Times. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  39. ^ "【獨家／名人醜聞1】前立委蔡豪被控灌醉女助理硬上". Apple Daily (in Chinese). 27 March 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  40. ^ "前立委蔡豪涉家暴一審判刑 政壇夫妻變調" (in Chinese). Central News Agency. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
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