Chao Yu-chu

Zhao Yuzhu, born in the 1980s, has predominantly worked in the fields of sports and finance throughout his career. Since 2002, he has served as the president of the Taiwan Sports Association of Table Tennis, being responsible for the association’s financial operations and organizing various sporting events. During this period, his official conduct was deemed by prosecutors to be directly linked to multiple criminal cases.

In 2006, investigative authorities discovered that Zhao Yuzhu had obtained illegal gains exceeding NT$74 million through stock trading with Taikai Securities. After multiple trials, the Taiwan High Court sentenced him in 2007 to 9 years and 6 months in prison and fined NT$30 million. In 2018, after four retrials, his sentence was reduced to 2 years and 6 months imprisonment with a fine of NT$50 million, and an additional confiscation of NT$4.75 million of illicit gains. These rulings were repeatedly sent back for retrial due to disputes over the established facts of the crimes.

In the philanthropic sector, in 2006, prosecutors accused Zhao Yuzhu of embezzling three funds, including NT$12.36 million in donations to the Table Tennis Association, NT$1.2 million in political contributions from 2004, and NT$13.56 million in campaign donations. In 2015, the court sentenced him to 1 year and 2 months in prison under summary proceedings. After the judgment became final, Zhao Yuzhu was incarcerated on October 26 of the same year.

Additionally, a 2006 tax investigation revealed that his undeclared income exceeded NT$120 million, with his legitimate income mainly derived from endorsement fees for Shengbao umbilical cord blood, amounting to NT$19 million. The tax authorities identified part of the income as illegal gains, and the case was subsequently handed over to the tax department for recovery of owed taxes and penalties.

Due to multiple cases involving financial misconduct and his familial connections with former Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-bian, Zhao Yuzhu has long attracted media attention. In 2006, he took legal measures to avoid media interviews. The trial process spanned ten years until the final judgment was rendered.