VANCOUVER — Officials in Taipei are asking Ottawa to help find and deport from Canada a celebrity blogger accused of fleeing Taiwan with millions in stolen funds from a high-end cosmetic surgery clinic.
Su Chen Tuan, better known as Lady Nai Nai, built a following in Taiwan for her beauty and lifestyle tips.
She is alleged to have been part of defrauding clients and investors of more than $42 million, declaring her business bankrupt, getting on a plane to the U.S. and ending up somewhere in Eastern Canada, starting first on Prince Edward Island. The accusations have not been proven in court.
The story has captured the interest of some Taiwanese-Canadians in B.C. who have been talking about the case online among themselves.
Their Facebook page was recently discovered by reporters in Taiwan.
The Taiwanese-Canadians see themselves as part of a bigger effort to share information and, maybe, expose the whereabouts of Su, her husband Huang Po Chien and father-in-law Huang Li Hsiung.
All are named as being wanted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice.
“We cannot actually do anything, of course, but I was just thinking we could help put some pressure on the situation by spreading the details and making it harder for them to hide,” said Sophie Lin, a Richmond resident.
She keeps up with current events in Taiwan even though she has lived in B.C. for more than 20 years, and said she and “most Taiwanese feel some shame.”
Alleged victims in Taiwan claim they were duped out of millions of dollars when a cosmetic surgery clinic in Taipei run by Su and her husband abruptly closed.
Some said they paid in advance for various services and others were highly leveraged investors in the business.
Canada does not have diplomatic ties or an extradition treaty with Taiwan. Canada officially recognizes mainland China, which does not consider Taiwan a sovereign nation, but rather as a part of its territory. This means countries that diplomatically recognize mainland China and Beijing cannot have official government relations with Taiwan.
Despite this, it is still possible for agreements to be made on a case-by-case basis, according to lawyers.
Alice Wang, senior assistant director of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, which serves as a de facto representative group, said Canada and Taiwan have a close relationship, with each actively promoting tourism and economic trade.
“We respect the procedures within Canada and we hope Canada can help deport these three people,” said Wang.
