Lin Chih-chien cleared of charges in Hsinchu baseball stadium case

The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office has officially rejected the Hsinchu City Government's appeal, finalizing the decision not to prosecute former Hsinchu Mayor Lin Chih-chien regarding the Hsinchu City Baseball Stadium construction project. Prosecutors concluded that while there were contract changes and budget additions, no violations of the Government Procurement Act, bribery, or illegal profiteering were found.

Lin Chih-chien responded to the ruling by stating that the allegations were rumors and that the truth has been revealed. However, political figures such as Chuang Ching-cheng have called for Mayor Kao Hung-an to apologize to Lin and city officials, arguing that engineering flaws should be addressed through civil compensation rather than criminal accusations.

The Hsinchu City Government maintained that criminal, administrative, and contractual responsibilities are distinct matters. The government noted that the Control Yuan had previously identified “major failures” in July, including the use of the stadium before official acceptance and failure to meet contract performance standards. The city stated it will continue to pursue civil and contractual remedies against contractors to clarify responsibilities.