The Supreme Court yesterday turned down DPP lawmaker David Chou's (
The decision reaffirmed Taiwan High Court's verdict last August that the legislator be sentenced for his involvement in the Ronghsing Park development affair.
The scandal surfaced in 1988 when then-Taipei City councilor Chen Sheng-hung (
Chou, 47, who has since 1993 held a legislative seat representing Taipei County, was found guilty of accepting NT$16 million from the company.
The four-term legislator declined to answer questions about the latest judiciary ruling that is bound to disrupt, if not terminate, his 20-year political career.
The high court also ruled to suspend Chou's civil liberties for four years, which will not go into effect until after he serves his jail term.
Chen Chun-yuan (
Several other councilors and city government officials took part in the influence-peddling scheme that sought unsuccessfully to turn part of the park near Sungshan Airport into a commercial-residential zone. Most of those found guilty have almost finished their terms.
The Ministry of Interior issued a statement later in the day saying it will ask the premier, with consent from the president, to revoke Chou's capacity as a lawmaker, after it receives the verdict.
"People deprived of their civil liberties are not qualified to work as government employees, a definition that extends to lawmakers," the ministry's statement said.
It will take a couple of months at the most before Chou has to report to prison authorities. The legislative immunity from prosecutions does not apply to Supreme Court convictions, according to the criminal code.
The DPP legislative caucus, while regretting Chou's removal, shied away from defending their controversial colleague.
"The development is regretful as it will reduce the party's seats in the legislature," DPP legislative whip Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said. "But we will fully respect the judicial branch on this matter."
Chou began his political career in 1982 when he worked as an assistant to Chen Shui-bian (
During his stint as the DPP legislative whip during the first half of 2001, he never missed an opportunity to bash the opposition parties and stall the legislative process.
Ker Chien-ming (
"Politically shrewd, Chou has made a great contribution to the DPP over the years," Ker said. "His absence will significantly dent the ruling party's combat readiness."
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post said in a report published on Monday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro Jr told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week. Although there has been no formal change to the Philippines’ diplomatic stance on recognizing Taiwan, Manila is increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, the report said. The number of Chinese vessels in the seas around the Philippines, as well as Chinese
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative