-
By Liu Yong-yun and Hollie Younger / Staff reporter, with staff writer
A 68-year old caregiver was today cleared of entering a sham marriage and committing document forgery after eloping with a 102-year-old multimillionaire who had been under her care for more than two decades, the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said.
The man, surnamed Wang (王), from Taipei’s Zhongshan District (中山), is reportedly worth an estimated NT$800 million (US$24.64 million) and accumulated multiple properties during a successful career in real estate. He has 10 children.
On Jan. 5, unbeknownst to his family, Wang eloped with his caregiver, a woman surnamed Lai (賴), who had been working for him since 1999.
Photo: Taipei Times file photo
On Jan. 11, the family approached Lai’s son on the street and a heated conflict allegedly ensued, after which the family lodged a complaint with the police, accusing Lai of a sham marriage and document forgery.
Lai’s son launched a suit against Wang’s family, alleging they used coercion to restrict his movements during the argument, though his case was dismissed by prosecutors.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office today declined to indict Lai, having reviewed the marriage license and ascertained that Wang was of sound mind at the time of the marriage.
Prosecutors said they reviewed surveillance footage from the household registration office and questioned the civil servant who had handled the marriage documentation.
It was found that Wang clearly stated his name and was able to respond quickly to questions, and there was no evidence that he had been pushed into the marriage against his will, prosecutors said.
Lai has reportedly acquired seven properties and more than 10 insurance policies from Wang since 2009.
A further conflict between the family and Lai in February allegedly led to several people being injured.
The Taipei District Court is currently hearing a case against one of Wang’s daughter-in-laws and a grandson on assault charges.
