Suspicions of insider trading have led to multiple raids and probes targeting the maker of Taiwan's domestic COVID-19 vaccine and its parent company. 18 people, including Medigen chairman Chang Shih-chung and his relatives and friends, were questioned due to suspicious buying and selling of the company's stock before major news became public, with six of them released on bail.
Chang Shih-chung, Medigen Biotech Chair: “Can you wait for the investigation to wrap up?”
Reporter: “Do you feel super wronged?”
Chang Shih-chung, the chair of both Medigen Biotech and its subsidiary Medigen Vaccine Biologics, was questioned by prosecutors on the 29th. He was released on NT$300,000 bail on the 30th.
Reporter asked Huang Tzu-liang, Medigen Biotech Board Director: “What was the extent of insider trading? Is there anything you want to say?”
Chang's brother-in-law, Huang Tzu-liang, is a board director at Medigen Biotech. Huang and his wife, Chang's sister Chang Tzu-ling, were also questioned and released on NT$500,000 bail each. The company's former CFO Ou Chao-chuan was also questioned and set to be released on NT$100,000 bail.
Chang Hui-ching, Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Shilin District Prosecutors Office: “We are investigating insider trading and non-arm's length transactions Involving Medigen Vaccine Biologics and Medigen Biotech shares. After reviewing their transaction and investor data, we asked 18 suspects to come in for questioning.”
Medigen made major performance-related announcements between February 2020 and July 2021, leading prosecutors to launch an insider trading investigation. They found that a company insider had friends and family purchase Medigen shares, which was confirmed by a whistleblower. Medigen's parent company is also suspected of cooking its books while company officials are suspected of insider trading and non-arm's length transactions. Of the 18 suspects questioned by prosecutors, 12 were released without bail.
The KMT caucus is accusing the DPP of shielding Medigen given that the case had been submitted to the prosecutors office on nine separate occasions before the elections and prosecutors waited until after the elections to finally take action.
Su Tseng-chang, ROC Premier: “…any illegal conduct by a company or an individual. We respect the independence of prosecutors.”
Medigen has released a statement saying two non-executive employees at its Zhubei factory may have violated securities laws with their personal investments and this has nothing to do with the company whatsoever. The two were questioned by prosecutors at their homes and subsequently released. Medigen's parent company, meanwhile, says it is cooperating with the investigation.
「靜待司法調查，好嗎？」儘管記者追問「會覺得自己很委屈嗎?」，仍沒有多做解釋。張世忠身兼基亞生技以及子公司高端疫苗董事長，29日遭到檢方約談，漏夜訊問後，30日獲30萬元交保。
記者問基亞生技董事黃子亮：「有內線交易嗎?有沒有什麼話想說?」
全身包緊緊，拿起文件遮擋。張世忠妹婿、基亞董事黃子亮，一併被帶回複訊，跟妻子張姿玲以50萬元交保。而基亞前財務長歐朝銓，則被諭令10萬交保候傳。
士林地檢署襄閱主任檢察官張惠菁指出：「高端公司、基亞公司股票，涉及內線交易及非常規交易等案件，經比對分析意見書，過濾投資人的交易資料之後，約談了相關的犯罪嫌疑人，10多人到案。」
檢方會展開搜索，因為發現高端公司，從2020年2月到2021年7月，在公布利多及利空的重大消息前，疑似有內線交易，有內部人士涉嫌洩漏消息給親友購買股票。偵辦過程又接獲檢舉，母公司基亞涉嫌財報不實、非常規交易和內線交易。兩起案件兵分多路，約談18人到案，其中有12人無保請回。對於檢調偵辦行動，國民黨立法院黨團今天則質疑，先前9度移送相關案件，檢調卻在選後才行動，批評執政黨護航高端。
行政院長蘇貞昌表示：「公司或個人任何違法的行為，我們尊重檢調獨立辦案。」
而高端發則聲明澄清，有兩名竹北工廠非主管職基層員工，因個人股票交易情形可能違反《證券交易法》，在私人住所被約談，與公司無關，已被無保請回。基亞發布重訊，表示配合相關調查。
這回，是否涉及內線炒股？全案將朝違反《證交法》，續行偵辦。