Li-yang Energy President Ku Sheng-hui Searched and Bailed for NT$4 Million in Tainan Solar Scandal

In the early hours of May 31, 2023, the Tainan District Prosecutors Office of the Republic of China ordered Ku Sheng-hui, president of Li-yang Energy, former advisor to the Executive Yuan, and prominent DPP political organizer, to be released on a NT$4 million bail under suspicion of violating the Anti-Corruption Act. The previous day, investigators raided 46 locations, including Li-yang's headquarters and offices of relevant municipal officials, questioning Ku and several high-ranking executives. Investigators alleged that Li-yang Energy colluded with Hsinchu and Tainan government officials, including former Tainan Economic Development Bureau Director Chen Kai-ling, to bypass strict agricultural land-use conversion reviews for 'small two-hectare' solar projects, illegally securing approval letters. The high bail for Ku, a major figure in the green energy sector, triggered intense public criticism over crony capitalism and corruption behind the ruling administration's green energy policies.