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Supreme
Court rejects Chen¡¦s detention appeal
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STILL IN CUSTODY: The former
president filed the appeal after a three-judge High Court panel ruled last month
that he be kept in detention until Feb. 23
STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Friday, Jan 15, 2010, Page 2
The Supreme Court yesterday rejected an appeal by former president Chen
Shui-bian (³¯¤ô«ó) to revoke a Taiwan High Court ruling last month that he remain
in custody for another two months.
Chen filed the appeal after a three-judge panel from the High Court ruled on
Dec. 17 that he be kept behind bars for another two months, on the grounds that
he might abscond if released from detention.
After a review, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court ruling and turned down
Chen¡¦s appeal.
The high court ruling said Chen should be detained for another two months from
Dec. 24 to Feb. 23. The next hearing on whether he should be detained for a
longer period might be held before the Feb. 13 to Feb. 21 Lunar New Year
holiday.
The judges said in their ruling that Chen has had the chance to come into
contact with foreign governments and members of the private sector, making him
¡§more familiar than ordinary people with ways to flee overseas.¡¨
With Chen¡¦s influence and the assets stashed overseas by his family, he could
live a comfortable life if he were to run away to evade the severe sentence he
could face, the judges said.
Both Chen and his wife, Wu Shu-jen, were sentenced on Sept. 11 by the Taipei
District Court to life in prison, in addition to receiving fines of NT$200
million (US$6.13 million) and NT$300 million, respectively, on several counts of
corruption, including embezzling from a presidential fund for state affairs,
taking bribes from local businessmen and money laundering.
Chen was first detained on Nov. 12, 2008, and was released on Dec. 13, 2008,
following his indictment.
He was detained again on Dec. 30, 2008, after the Taipei District Court approved
a request by prosecutors to take him back into custody and he has not been
released since.
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