The Taiwan High Court yesterday rejected the appeal of Chao Chien-ming (
Chao Chien-ming's sentence was lengthened by 12 months to seven years imprisonment. Chao Yu-chu received a 14-month addition to his sentence, meaning he must now serve nine years and six months.
The Chaos were appealing their convictions last December by the Taipei District Court in connection with the Taiwan Development Corp (TDC) scandal and other deals.
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES
Chao Chien-ming's defense attorney Chen Feng-fu (
Both the Chaos and prosecutors had appealed the District Court's decision to the Taiwan High Court. The prosecutors appealed because they believed the defendants had made more illegal profits than the district court had ruled on and should therefore receive heavier sentences.
Taiwan High Court spokesman Wen Yao-yuan (
The High Court also decided that all the money the Chous made through insider trading should be accounted for. Wen said the court decided that the pair should be responsible for the money they made illegally as well as the money their accomplices made.
While the district court had decided that Chao and his father had made a total of NT$4.27 million illegally, the High Court decided that the Chaos and two codefendants, former Taiwan Development Corp chairman Su Teh-jien (蘇德建) and businessman Yu Shih-yi (游世一), had made more than NT$100 million through insider trading of TDC shares, Wen said.
He said the Securities Transaction Law (證券交易法) states that a person should receive a longer sentence if he or she made more than NT$100 million in an illegal deal.
The elder Chao's sentence also included his violation for embezzlement of public funds.
He embezzled NT$11 million from Eslite Books chairman Robert Wu (吳清友), who had deposited the sum into one of Chao Yu-chu's bank accounts as a donation to the Taiwan Table Tennis Association, which the senior Chao headed.
Su was sentenced to seven years and six months in jail while Yu was sentenced to seven years and two months in jail. Yu was also fined NT$60 million.
The TDC scandal revolved around two 2005 dinners at a Japanese restaurant in Taipei.
Su, Chang Hwa Commercial Bank chairman Chang Po-shin (張伯欣), bank president Chen Chen-chao (陳辰昭), Yu and Chao Chien-ming were all at the dinners.
It is believed that confidential information about TDC was discussed on both occasions.
First daughter Chen Hsing-yu (
She told reporters camped outside her office that she respected the judiciary and would file an appeal for her husband.
sorry
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Wei-cher (
Huang was referring to Chao Chien-ming's volunteer work as an orthopedist at Tainan's Sin Lau Hospital since March 1.
Chao Chien-ming began working there after his application to resume his job at National Taiwan University Hospital's orthopedics department was rejected.
People First Party Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (
"The ruling party should come up with concrete measures to salvage the confidence of the public in the government," Liu said.
The first family bears a moral responsibility ... President Chen should advise Chao Chien-ming against appealing further," Liu said.
new trial?
Liu said the chances of another trial clearing Chao Chien-ming were low and an appeal would just be a waste of judicial resources.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) said the heavier sentences meant that Chao Chien-ming had been proved guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Kuo hailed yesterday's ruling, saying that judges handling the first lady's case should confront the mighty as the judges in this case had done.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan, Flora Wang
and Ko Shu-ling
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source