|
Taipei District Court
suspends Chen Shui-bian trial over health concerns
By Rich Chang / Staff reporter
The Taipei District Court announced yesterday that former president Chen
Shui-bian¡¦s (³¯¤ô«ó) trial on charges of corruption and seizing confidential
government documents will be suspended due to concerns about his health.
Application granted
The district court said it has granted the application by Chen¡¦s attorneys for
his trial to be suspended.
According to Article 294 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (¦D¨Æ¶D³^ªk), the trial of
a defendant who is unable to attend hearings due to illness should be suspended
until the defendant is able to attend.
The district court said the decision could not be appealed by prosecutors.
The court cited a medical report as saying that Chen, who is serving a 20-year
jail sentence for corruption, is suffering from a number of ailments, including
severe depression and non-typical Parkinson¡¦s disease.
Chen¡¦s health might be put at risk if he spends time traveling and in court, it
added.
Last week, Chen underwent an operation at the Taichung Veterans General Hospital
to treat a severe case of sleep apnea.
A statement released by the former president¡¦s office said breathing disruptions
have resulted in a number of health issues including deprivation of oxygen to
the brain.
|
