Taiwan's prosecutors have charged a sitting local politician with running a violent extortion ring, a rare and serious corruption case that is bad news for the accused and for trust in local government.

• Han Ching-shan, chairman of the Mailiao township council in Yunlin County, is accused of building a criminal gang since 2022 that squeezed protection money out of soil and landfill operators.
• Operators were forced to report where and when they were dumping fill, then pay daily "lookout" fees; those who refused had their sites blocked, trucks stopped, and equipment keys pulled.
• Eight companies were victimized, and one driver had his truck smashed and was beaten and forced to apologize after a road dispute.
• He is also accused of threatening a high school baseball coach for recruiting a player he favored, and of using fake invoices to dodge more than NT$30 million in business and corporate taxes.
• Twenty-six people were charged in total; prosecutors want 20 years for Han and 15 years each for two lieutenants.

Outlook: The case now goes to trial, where the court will decide whether the heavy sentences prosecutors requested actually stick.