17 Indicted in BNT Vaccine Procurement Fraud Case as Tzu Chi Is Alleged to Have Been Swindled Out of NT$1.06 Billion

Taiwan prosecutors have indicted 17 people in a major fraud case tied to BNT vaccine procurement during the 2021 COVID-19 outbreak. According to the case details, former Changhua Bar Association chairman Chen Yu-hsuan and alleged fake broker Li Yi-ru claimed they had access to procurement channels through Shanghai Fosun and could help secure BNT doses for TSMC and Hon Hai. Investigators said the pair used a shell company called Yuda to obtain a $30 million consulting fee from the Tzu Chi Foundation, equivalent to about NT$1.06 billion. Prosecutors have charged the defendants with fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion, and have seized more than NT$1 billion in cash, gold, and other assets. The case has also drawn scrutiny over why Tzu Chi did not report the matter earlier and over differences in vaccine budget figures. Tzu Chi said it had not realized it had been defrauded until investigators traced suspicious fund flows and later verified the transactions with the foundation. Former health official Chen Shih-chung said Tzu Chi was a victim in the case. Separately, York University associate professor Shen Jung-chin questioned why Tzu Chi’s budget for 5 million BNT doses appeared higher than the disclosed budgets of TSMC and Hon Hai, while also including a separate service fee.