Chao Chien-ming's sentence increased

People First Party Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) said yesterday that Chao Chien-ming should abandon further appeals and begin serving his sentence immediately.

"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