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Lin Yi-shih released
on NT$50m bail
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY: The release of the former
Cabinet secretary-general drew a mixture of outrage and support from lawmakers —
and ironic comments from netizens
By Shih Hsiao-kuang, Tseng Wei-chen and Jason Pan / Staff
reporters and staff writer, with CNA
Former Cabinet secretary-general
Lin Yi-shih and his wife walk out of the Taipei District Court yesterday after
he was released on NT$50 million bail.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
Former Executive Yuan secretary-general
Lin Yi-shih (林益世) was released on NT$50 million (US$1.7 million) yesterday
afternoon.
Lin, who has been detained by prosecutors since July 2, was granted bail early
yesterday by the Taipei District Court following his indictment on
corruption-related charges on Thursday, but he was not released immediately
because he failed to come up with the required amount at the time.
Lin is accused of demanding and accepting bribes, concealing illegal gains and
keeping unaccountable assets, according to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office
Special Investigation Division (SID).
Lin’s release sparked an outcry from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
lawmakers.
“Taiwan’s judiciary is morally bankrupt,” DPP Legislator Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君)
said.
DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) described it as “iron-clad evidence of
political interference in the judicial process.”
Some netizens also reacted to reports that Lin’s family was able to come up with
NT$50 million for bail within 20 hours.
“For most people, it would take 100 years to round up that amount,” one netizen
commented.
“Has the government gone crazy?” another wrote. “Corrupt people can post money
to be released on bail?”
A netizen using the name “ming_ray” said: “No wonder Mr Ma Ying-jeou promised to
make people feel good about the economy within one month. Now we have the state
coffers earning NT$50 million. This is quite a good, credible promise!”
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾), who has frequently
drawn the party’s ire with her comments, said: “The KMT government should not
dig its own grave just to protect Lin.”
“The SID should publicly explain the many questions surrounding the case, or
else the public will have no confidence in the judiciary,” Lo said.
KMT caucus whip Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), on the other hand, said that DPP members
involved in corruption cases such as Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chih-fen
(蘇治芬) and DPP Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) had also been released upon posting
bail, adding that there was no difference in treatment between pan-blue and
pan-green politicians.
Lin’s case came to light on June 27 when a local magazine reported that he
helped Kaohsiung-based Ti Yung Co (地勇選礦公司地勇選礦公司) to secure a slag treatment
contract from a subsidiary of China Steel Corp (CSC, 中鋼) in 2010, when Lin was
serving as a KMT legislator.
In return, Ti Yung owner Chen Chi-hsiang (陳啟祥) gave Lin NT$63 million, the
indictment read.
The magazine reported that Lin demanded a further NT$83 million from Chen early
this year after he was appointed Cabinet secretary-general.
When Chen refused to pay up, Lin allegedly pressured CSC, a listed company in
which the government has a controlling stake, to stop supplying slag to Ti Yung.
Lin’s mother, Shen Juo-lan (沈若蘭), who allegedly received the bribe along with
Lin, was indicted as another principal offender in the case, according to the
indictment.
Lin’s wife, Peng Ai-chia (彭愛佳), and his two maternal uncles — Shen Huan-yao
(沈煥瑤) and Shen Huan-chang (沈煥璋) — were charged with money laundering for
concealing the bribe on behalf of Lin, the indictment said.
Chen, who gave testimony against Lin as a witness for the prosecutors in the
investigation, was under investigation in a separate case by the Kaohsiung
District Prosecutors’ Office.
Additional reporting by Chien Li -chung
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