Prosecutors Indict 17 Suspects Over 2021 COVID-19 Vaccine Scam
By TaiwanPlus
Taichung prosecutors have indicted 17 people over a fake offer of COVID-19 vaccine doses in 2021 that defrauded a major Taiwan charity of around US$33 million.
COVID Vaccine Scam: Seventeen Indicted for Defrauding Charity of US$33 Million
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REPORTER:
Taichung prosecutors have indicted 17 people over a scam that cheated a leading Taiwan charity out of nearly 33 million US dollars.
The accused include a former head of a local law association and his middleman. The pair offered to procure five million doses of a COVID vaccine for the Buddhist charity, Tzu Chi Foundation in 2021 — at the height of the pandemic. But, prosecutors say, the pair put the money into personal and corporate accounts, withdrew large amounts in cash and even converted some into gold. The Tzu Chi Foundation says it plans to recover funds through legal proceedings.
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COVID Vaccine Scam: 17 Indicted for Defrauding Charity of US$33 Million
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REPORTER:
Taichung prosecutors have indicted 17 people over a scam that cheated a leading Taiwan charity out of nearly 33 million US dollars.
The accused include the former head of a local bar association and a broker. The pair offered to procure five million doses of a COVID vaccine for the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation in 2021, at the height of the pandemic. But, prosecutors say, the pair put the money into personal and corporate accounts, withdrew large amounts in cash and even converted some into gold. The Tzu Chi Foundation said it plans to recover funds through legal proceedings.
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COVID Vaccine Scam: 17 Indicted for Fraud and Embezzlement
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REPORTER:
Taichung prosecutors have indicted 17 people over a scam that cheated a leading Taiwan charity out of nearly US$33 million.
The accused include the former head of a local bar association and a broker. The pair offered to procure five million doses of a COVID vaccine for the Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation in 2021, at the height of the pandemic. But, prosecutors say, the pair put the money into personal and corporate accounts, issued false invoices from a string of companies to avoid taxes, and even converted some of the stolen money into gold.
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