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Chen¡¦s sentence cut to 20 years
STILL GUILTY: Sentences and fines were reduced for former president Chen
Shui-bian, his wife and six other defendants, and the Supreme Court will hear
Chen¡¦s final appeal
By Vincent Y. Chao
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Jun 12, 2010, Page 1
Former president Chen Shui-bian waves as he
arrives at the Taiwan High Court yesterday. The court reduced the sentence in
his second trial on graft and money-laundering charges to 20 years.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Former president Chen Shui-bian (³¯¤ô«ó) had his life sentence reduced to 20 years
in prison after the Taiwan High Court handed down the verdict for the second
trial yesterday, a ruling that Chen¡¦s lawyers said they would appeal.
The court affirmed a lower court ruling in September last year that found the
59-year-old Chen guilty of embezzling state funds, committing forgery and
laundering some of the money through Swiss bank accounts.
Yesterday¡¦s ruling reduced the NT$200 million (US$6.17 million) fine imposed on
Chen by the Taipei District Court to NT$170 million, while lowering a lifetime
ban on civil rights to 10 years.
Delivering the verdict, Chief Judge Teng Chen-chiu (¾H®¶²y) said he took into
consideration new findings that show the amount embezzled was less than
previously found by a lower court.
A later statement by the High Court, however, said that both Chen and his wife
had failed to display remorse over their actions, which it said ¡§disrupted
societal values.¡¨
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Chen and his wife ¡§did not hold themselves to public opinion or reflect [on
their actions], [instead] they pressured their subordinates to use the evidence
to attempt to cover up their crime,¡¨ the court said.
The High Court also reduced the life sentence of former first lady Wu Shu-jen
(§d²Q¬Ã) to 20 years and cut her fine from NT$300 million to NT$200 million. Six of
the other eight defendants, including Chen¡¦s son and daughter-in-law, also saw
their sentences reduced.
Allegations of corruption and abuse of power against Chen, his family and
members of his entourage were first initiated by prosecutors after he lost
presidential immunity following the end of his second term in office in 2008.
During his trial, prosecutors accused Chen and his wife of accepting bribes to
facilitate property deals, laundering money overseas and embezzling millions
from a special presidential fund. They said that NT$700 million was remitted to
accounts in Singapore and the Cayman Islands and later moved to Swiss bank
accounts.
Chen was seen leaning forward with his head down and shoulders slumped as the
verdict was read yesterday. He had been seen going into the hearing in
apparently high spirits.
One of his defense attorneys, Shih Yi-lin (¥Û©yµY), said the defense team would
immediately file an appeal, which he said they were ¡§very optimistic about.¡¨
¡§Of course [Chen] feels upset, he thinks that he should have been found not
guilty,¡¨ Shih said. ¡§However, he still thinks that we have a chance to appeal
this decision, so we don¡¦t feel too bad.¡¨
Shih said they were hopeful about Chen¡¦s chances of being granted bail, adding
that as a former president, Chen ¡§is not a flight risk and ¡K will not flee the
country.¡¨
Yesterday¡¦s ruling came after the Taipei District Court on Tuesday cleared Chen
of separate charges of embezzling diplomatic funds.
The Supreme Court is set to rule next on Chen¡¦s appeal.
A separate hearing on whether Chen would be granted bail was postponed after the
High Court was unable to reach a conclusion and Chen returned to Tucheng
Detention Center.
The Taiwan High Court had previously said the money¡¦s return would be a key
factor on whether it would grant Chen bail. Prosecutors have said Chen would be
a flight risk if released ¡X a charge his lawyers deny.
The defense says up to US$14.5 million of the money has already been wired back
to accounts set up by the prosecutors¡¦ office and the remainder would be sent
back as soon as possible.
Chen has previously said the money came from leftover political contributions
from his presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004. He has denied accusations that
he misused the presidential fund, and his lawyers said they had been hoping for
an unconditional release.
Chen was first detained at the Taipei Detention Center on Nov. 12, 2008, and
released on Dec. 13, 2008, after he was indicted. He was detained again on Dec.
30, 2008 and has remained in detention since then.
On April 16 Teng ruled Chen should remain in custody for two more months, until
June 23.
The court yesterday said it would decide before June 23 whether to detain him
for another two months.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said it respected the high
court¡¦s decision, but called for Chen to be granted bail.
DPP spokesperson Lin Yu-chang (ªL¥k©÷) said: ¡§From a civil and human rights
perspective, the DPP is requesting that former president Chen¡¦s detention be
lifted, which will enable him to better prepare for his [appeal]¡¨
On Aug. 14, 2008, Chen called a news conference in which he admitted Wu had
wired overseas an unspecified amount of money that Chen received for his two
Taipei mayoral and two presidential election campaigns between 1993 and 2004.
The next day, Chen and Wu withdrew from the DPP to apologize for the disgrace
they had brought to the party by mismanaging campaign funds.
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