Taiwan prosecutors have raided a sitting opposition lawmaker's legislative office over claims he had contractors pay his staff, a serious blow to a long-dominant local political figure.

• Taipei prosecutors searched KMT legislator Chen Hsueh-sheng's office at the Legislative Yuan and hauled away a large batch of evidence.
• He is accused of having private contractors put his assistants on their payroll and of lobbying on those contractors' behalf.
• Investigators sent teams to Lienchiang County at the same time, searching homes tied to the case in Matsu.
• Chen has ruled Matsu politics for years — two terms as county chief and four straight terms in parliament — and the raid stunned the islands.
• His service office near the county government stayed open as usual, and officials declined to confirm details while the searches continued.

Outlook: Prosecutors will sift the seized material to decide on charges, and the case gives the ruling party fresh ammunition against the KMT.