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Three judges, prosecutor held on graft
charges
By Vincent Y. Chao
Staff Reporter
Thursday, Jul 15, 2010, Page 1
Taiwan High Court judges Tsai Kuang-chih,
left, and Lee Chun-ti, third right, are led onto a bus outside the Taipei
District Court yesterday on their way to the Taipei Detention Center. They have
been accused of taking bribes from former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Miaoli
County commissioner Ho Chi-hui.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Three Taiwan High Court judges and a district prosecutor were detained yesterday
in connection with bribes that were allegedly paid during a corruption case
involving former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Miaoli County commissioner Ho
Chi-hui (何智輝).
The case stems from a five-year investigation that began in 2005. Observers say
it was the largest investigation into judicial corruption ever conducted by the
Special Investigation Panel (SIP) of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.
About 100 agents from the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau raided more
than 34 locations early on Tuesday, including the judges’ offices at the Taiwan
High Court and their residences.
The Taipei District Court said yesterday afternoon that all four, along with
another two people alleged to be connected to the case, had been taken into
custody.
The District Court said High Court judges Lee Chun-ti (李春地), Chen Jung-ho (陳榮和),
Tsai Kuang-chih (蔡光治), Banciao Prosecutor Chiu Mao-jung (邱茂榮) and an alleged
accomplice, Huang Lai Jui-jen (黃賴瑞珍), had been charged under the Anti-Corruption
Act (貪污治罪條例). If found guilty, they could face a minimum of 10 years in prison
and have to repay up to NT$100 million (US$3.1 million) each.
The other alleged accomplice, Hsieh Yen-jen (謝燕貞), could face a prison sentence
of between one and seven years and a fine of up to NT$3 million if found guilty.
She is also under suspicion for allegedly destroying evidence, the SIM card from
a mobile phone, during Tuesday’s police raids.
The six are suspected of taking or facilitating bribes offered by Ho in return
for overturning a lower court’s guilty verdict in a corruption case stemming
from his time as a legislator.
Ho, 60, is believed to be on the run. An order barring him from leaving the
country was issued yesterday, and prosecutors said they would issue an arrest
warrant if he did not turn himself in.
Ho has served as a Miaoli County councilor, Miaoli County commissioner and a
legislator.
He was indicted in 2004. In 2006, he was sentenced to 19 years in prison after
being convicted of receiving large kickbacks during the development phase of the
Tongluo expansion of the Hsinchu Science Park in Miaoli County. Ho appealed the
case to the Supreme Court and in May the Taiwan High Court found him not guilty.
Documents released by the Taipei District Court yesterday alleged Ho had paid
off some of the judges, possibly through intermediaries during clandestine
meetings in cars and underground parking lots. Evidence complied by the court
show the payments were believed to have reached NT$3.5 million at one point.
Lee and Chen were the reporting judge and the presiding judge of the High Court
trial that acquitted Ho of taking bribes.
Judicial Yuan President Lai In-jaw (賴英照) was infuriated over the “breakdown of
order” in the judiciary and pledged to immediately form a special task force to
come up with concrete steps in to correct judicial discipline, the Judicial Yuan
said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Presidential Office yesterday said President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) fully
supported efforts to get to the bottom of the case and urged civil servants and
judicial personnel to steer clear of corruption.
“The public’s trust in the government is the most important asset of a
government,” Presidential Office Spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) quoted Ma as
saying. “Corruption erodes such trust.”
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