Former DPP Penghu Magistrate Kao Chih-peng Convicted of Document Forgery in Insurance Fraud Scandal

In 1995, Kao Chih-peng, the first DPP magistrate of Penghu County, was indicted and suspended for involvement in labor insurance fraud and document forgery, severely damaging the DPP's clean governance image in Penghu. The scandal arose from Kao's tenure as director of the Xiyu Health Clinic, where prosecutors accused him of falsifying medical records to defraud insurance payments and accepting kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies. The Penghu District Prosecutors Office seized over 10,000 medical records for investigation. Although the corruption charges were eventually dismissed due to lack of evidence, the court ruled that Kao had issued prescriptions without examining patients in person, relying solely on phone reports from nurses. He was convicted of document forgery and sentenced to one year and three months in prison, with a probation period. The judicial scandal cut Kao's political career short and triggered public outrage, especially after a co-accused nurse committed suicide under stress. The case remained a major blemish on the DPP's local legacy, causing the party to lose power in Penghu for years.