DPP Heavyweight Wu Nai-jen Evades Detention Over NT$170 Million Debt; Taipei District Prosecutors Office Criticized for Lax Enforcement and Absurd 'Attempted Home Detention Failed' PR Statement

In June 2026, Wu Nai-jen, the former Secretary-General of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and former Chairman of Taiwan Sugar Corporation (Taisugar), who was ordered by the court to pay Taisugar approximately NT$170 million in compensation for a land undervaluation breach of trust case, evaded detention. Since Wu failed to repay the debt for years, the Taichung District Court requested the Taipei District Court and the Taipei District Prosecutors Office to execute a detention order. However, Wu "precisely disappeared" from his Taipei residence when law enforcement arrived, leading to a failed operation. Following public outcry over suspected leaks and lax enforcement, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office and relevant judicial organs released a public relations statement saying they "attempted home detention but the target was not present," a statement criticized by legal experts and the public as logically absurd and a clear excuse. Opposition parties and public opinion slammed the statement as undermining the judicial authority of the Republic of China, calling it a blatant cover-up for a political heavyweight. The incident also reignited debates over past instances where high-ranking ruling party figures, including President Lai Ching-te, staked their political careers to guarantee Wu's integrity, casting a shadow of political interference over the judicial process.