DPP legislator indicted on corruption charges

Nantou prosecutors yesterday indicted Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) on suspicion of accepting bribes from a businessman in exchange for lobbying for him.

Nantou prosecutors charged Gao with corruption and requested the Nantou District Court sentence Gao to nine years in prison.

"Gao disappointed his supporters and did not admit to his crimes during the investigation, so prosecutors requested the court give him a heavy sentence," Nantou District Prosecutor's Office spokesman Wu Tso-yan (吳祚延) told a press conference yesterday.

Yao Sheng-chih (姚昇志), vice director of Gao's legislative office, was also indicted on the same charges. But since Yao agreed to be a witness for the prosecution, prosecutors requested the court give him a lighter sentence.

Wu said Yao received NT$2 million (US$60,000) in April from construction company boss Chen Chao-hsiung (陳朝雄) in a legislative building coffee shop, agreeing to lobby the National Property Administration (NPA) under the Ministry of Finance on behalf of Chen's company and help it win the right to lease land belonging to the Taichung City Government.

Wu said Gao was suspected of receiving NT$500,000 from the NT$2 million.

Wu added that on June 29 and July 16 Gao summoned NPA director Kuo Wu-po (郭武博) and other NPA officials to attend meetings in the legislature where he asked the officials to rent the Taichung land to Chen's company.

However, prosecutors said the NPA did not agree to rent the land to Chen's company because its proposal to not meet the bid requirements.

Wu said Chen had agreed to pay Gao another NT$8 million if his bid was successful, but Gao did not receive the money.

Gao issued a statement last night saying Yao should not have turned against him.

He said he could not accept the indictment and insisted he was innocent.

Other than expressing disappointment, Gao said that he would not comment on the indictment because he has yet to receive it. He said he would release another statement after he received the indictment.

DPP Legislator Hsieh Hsin-ni (謝欣霓), who will double as director of the DPP's Culture and Information Department, said yesterday that the party will deal with the matter after Gao receives the indictment.

Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang and Ko Shu-ling